36 



Part III. — Twenty-second Anrmal Report 



dabs, and thirty common dabs. The next drag, for two hours, yielded 

 2740 fishes— 2674 being marketable and sixty-six unmarketable. The 

 number of haddocks caught was 2463 (twenty basketfuls), all except nine 

 marketable ; there were also 224 whitings and a few flat-fishes. The 

 third haul, for three hours, was scarcely so good, 2810 fishes being taken, 

 of which 2665 were marketable. The catch included 2008 haddocks, 

 nineteen codlings, twenty-six plaice, four lemon dabs, and eighty-six 

 common dabs. 



The five drags here — the time of actual fishing being thirteen hours — 

 produced altogether 9992 fishes, or at the rate of 768'6 per hour ; the 

 marketable numbered 9536, the average per hour being 732'5, and the 

 unmarketable 456, with an average per hour of 35*1. The total number 

 of haddocks was 8063, of which only forty-nine were unmarketable, the 

 average per hour's fishing being 620"2. Only 349 flat-fishes were caught 

 in the five hauls, and of these 108 were marketable, consisting of 

 eighty-two plaice and twenty-six lemon dabs ; the uuinarketable were 241 

 common dabs. 



The following Table gives the numbers of the marketable and unmarket- 

 able fishes respectively : — 



The haddocks were on the whole of a good class, 2078 being firsts, 1530 

 mediums, and 4406 thirds, the respective averages per hour's fishing being 

 as follows : — 



Firsts. Seconds. Thirds. Fourths. Unmarketable. 



No, 2,078 1,530 4,406 — 49 



Average 159-8 117-7 339-0 — 3-8 



Of the eighty-two plaice obtained, seven were large or firsts, sixty-four 

 were mediums, and eleven thirds. 



A small-meshed haul was made here for one hour, but the fine net was 

 torn. The number of fishes taken was 1034, as follows : — 



Before leaving the Moray Firth two hauls were made on Smith Bank, 

 on the edge, in about twenty one and twenty-two fathoms. The first, for 

 an hour, with the small-meshed net attached, yielded 1300 fishes, of which 

 350 were marketable and 950 unmarketable. The latter chiefly consisted 

 of common dabs and whitings, and the former of haddocks. The total 

 for both nets was 1811 fishes, belonging to twelve species, as follows : — 



