42 



Part III. — Twenty-fifth Annvul Beport 



In 1863 no information is given. In 1864 the fishing appears to have 

 been over at Arran mostly, and in November some vy^ere taken in Irvine 

 Bay and Saltcoats Bay. In 1865 the summer fishing appears also to 

 have been chiefly in the neighbourhood of Arran, but in November 

 the herrings set in in great abundance to Irvine Bay, the oldest 

 fisherman, it is said, not remembering such heavy catches with drift-nets 

 as were then obtained, and the herrings were taken close to the shore and 

 even in Irvine Harbour. The weekly catches may be given, the number 

 of crans of herrings landed at the various ports being as follows : — 



After the 13th January the fishing fell off, only a few hundreds of 

 herrings being caught up to the end of the month. The totals for the 

 various months for the district are as follows : — 



June. July. August. September. October. November. December. January. 

 24 249 1,200 232 113 2,322 855 437 



In 1866 the summer fishing appears to have been mostly near Arran, 

 and in November the herrings were again tolerably abundant in Irvine 

 Bay, appearing about the same time, viz., 3rd November. Later in he 

 month they were found in Ayr Bay. The fishing was continued to 

 January 25th, but with less success, the weather being stormy. The 

 monthly totals are these: — 



June. July. August. September. October. November. December. January. 

 38 580 506 37 132 927 67 309 



The total for the year was 2724 crans. 



There is no information for 1867, except that on 14th December 

 it is said that " the winter fishing on the Ayrshire coast has done little or 

 nothing as yet," and no shoal appeared on the coast as in the two previous 

 years. The total for the year was 1266 crans, of which 309 crans were 

 taken in January, as above stated. 



The year 1868 is a memorable year in the fishing annals of the 

 Greenock district. In the summer the fishing was rather poor, and it 

 was noted that there did not appear to be a shoal of any extent on the 

 coast. The total quantity up to the beginning of October was 1425 



