CHAP, vii.] EVIDENCE OF A HULL TRAWLER. 317 



instance I caught one hundred and eight cods in a haul. That 

 was forty miles off Flambro' Head. My nets have been 

 examined officially only once in twelve years. The shorter 

 the haul the better the fish ; but I have had the fish in splen- 

 did condition with a large haul. I have never had any fish 

 damaged by having the gall-bladder burst. A gall-bladder 

 may be burst, but we would not see it unless we opened the 

 fish." 



A Hull trawler spoke to the following effect : " I never 

 saw any spawn in the net. It is impossible for spawn to be 

 caught in the net. There is often unmarketable fish, but it is 

 only when there is a strong breeze and a difficulty in getting 

 the gear on board. We generally get seven or eight hampers 

 in a haul, and one basket would perhaps be unfit for the 

 market. The hooked fish is a more saleable fish, as it has got 

 the scales and slime on it, and the trawl fish has not got the 

 slime on it, and the scales are sometimes rubbed off." Some 

 haddocks were here produced which the witness said were a 

 fair specimen. The scales were on them, and on one being 

 opened the inside was found to be in a unbroken state. 



The following is a summary of the evidence given by 

 William Dawson, a very intelligent fisherman of Newbiggin, 

 who spoke from fifty years' experience : " He had fished cod, 

 ling, turbot, and several kinds of shell-fish, but not oysters. 

 He was still engaged as a fisherman. He fished with a line 

 for soles. The number of fishermen and boats had increased. 

 In 1808 there were eight boats, and there are now about 

 thirty boats. Fifty years ago the boats were about one-third 

 the size. The boats carried just about the same lines as now. 

 The boats now carry about three times as much net as they 

 did. The number of white fish is falling off a great deal. In 

 1812 every boat brought in more white fish than they could 

 carry. We do not go much more frequently to sea now. In 

 the size of the fish now there is not much difference a little 



