FISH NOTES 197 



LARGE MACKEREL 



The local spring Mackerel fishery, which used to 

 afford most picturesque scenes on the beach up till 

 the 'seventies, and was carried on most profitably, is 

 now a thing of the past ; and strangely enough, the 

 Mackerel now caught in this neighbourhood are 

 taken simultaneously with the Herrings. The same 

 trick that was noticeably played in the old days 

 is seen now. Before the auctioneer commences to 

 drag bids from intending buyers, the smallest 

 examples are placed snugly at the bottom of the 

 swill, and the largest, which have been temporarily 

 laid aside for the purpose, are placed on the top. 

 Some of these examples are very fine indeed. A 

 Mackerel measured in November 1881 was 20 inches 

 long and 10J inches in girth, and weighed 2f Ibs. 

 I have found inside an average-sized Mackerel 

 17 sandlaunces of good size. No less than 20 

 lasts of Mackerel were landed at the Fishwharf 

 on 26th September 1897; and one boat alone, 

 on 9th October, landed two lasts, or 24,000 fish. 

 The largest Mackerel I have ever yet seen, brought 

 in on 21st October 1898, measured 21 J inches; 

 girth, 12 inches ; weight, 3 Ibs. 7 oz. 



