FISHING IMPLEMENTSMODE OF CAPTURE. 39 



Occasionally a single haul is sufficient to send the 

 boat dancing, as fast as wind and weather will let her, 

 into port, which may be Whitby, Scarborough, Grims- 

 by, or Great Yarmouth, according to the particular 

 ground the boat has been fishing, and the direction 

 of the wind. As the herrings draw nearer the coast, 

 coming farther south, the boats follow them, fishing 

 the Great Silver Pit, the Coal Pit, the Little Silver 

 Pit, working their way south, taking in Smith's Knoll 

 and neighbourhood, finishing the season a little south 

 of Lowestoft a day or two before Christmas, by which 

 time, as the herrings have completed their spawning, 

 the boats lose them. The Scotch boats which come 

 up for the Yarmouth season, being smaller, and carry- 

 ing nets of a lighter thread, do not go out so far, but 

 fish just off the Yarmouth sands, and run into port 

 with their fish fresh. 



When the larger boats approach the Yarmouth 

 roadstead with their silvery freight, steam tugs, which 

 are constantly on the watch, tow them up to the 

 fish wharf; for if they have any fresh herrings on 

 board, it is especially needful to get these to the 

 market as quickly as possible, while they are yet in 

 their primest condition, as they are wanted for the 

 best class of bloaters ; consequently the prices paid 

 for such "stuff" is frequently three times as much 

 as is paid for "salt stuff." On arrival at the fish 

 wharf, " tellers " (men who count the herrings), step 

 on board, and count the fish into light wicker baskets, 

 each basket as it is filled is passed on shore to the 

 mate, who empties it into larger baskets of a different 



