22 Part ITT.—Twenty-first Annual Report 
The sixteenth haui was a short one, for thirty-five minutes, in seventy 
fathoms, on the morning of 28th May, and fifty-five fishes were taken, 
viz. forty-one haddocks, one cod, five codling, two whitings, and six 
witches. 
The vessel then returned to Aberdeen, steering 8.W., and running 
140 miles to Buchan Ness. 
In the voyage described above, the trawler prospected about more 
than is usual, owing to the scarcity of fish. As already mentioned, the 
movements of the haddocks are somewhat erratic at the close of the 
spawning season, and since this fish forms the most important item in 
the catches in the deep water, the trawlers hunt about in the hope of 
striking upon a shoal. 
Complete records were made of ten hauls, representing fifty hours’ 
fishing; the total number of hauls being sixteen, and the duration of 
actual fishing seventy-five hours and thirty-five minutes. One of the 
drags, as stated, was blank, on account of the loss of the net. 
I have tabulated the detailed catches of the ten hauls referred to, in 
which an aggregate of 18,634 fishes was recorded, 14,984 being market- 
able and 3650, or about 19°5 per cent., unmarketable. The average 
number of fishes and of marketable and unmarketable taken in each of 
the five hours’ hauls and in each hour’s actual fishing are these :— 
Marketable. Unmarketable. Total. 
Per Haul, . f 1,498°4 365:0 1,863°4 
Per Hour, : 299-7 73:0 372°7 
Although the fishing was comparatively poor on this voyage, it was 
much superior to what obtained farther to the south and south-east, 
and the “ Fisher Bank,” a week later (see p. 26). 
The detailed catches show that of the marketable fishes 13,508 were 
round-fishes and 1465, or 10°8 per cent., were flat-fishes; while of the 
unmarketable 188 were round-fishes and 3273, or 89°7 per cent., were 
flat-fishes, composed almost entirely of long rough dabs. 
The particulars referring to the flat-fishes are as follow; the market- 
able being indicated by I. and the unmarketable by IT. :— 
Plaice. | Yemen | Witch, (Common Ronsk Dab Megrim. | Halibut, 
RUG ig 5 9 | 1,203 5h ee 8 
IL, 1 | 50] 217 | 2,994 u 
Preaviredt ( | 5 10 | 1,253 | 292 | Saeed 246 8 
Average per haul, .| 0°5 1:0 125°3 oo ee 24°6 08 
Pere ber POE} OF || 08) [BBA | eee yee 4 aah | oe 
