4 THE HERRING FISHERIES. 



Immature herring, which is really summer fry seeking 

 the ocean waters, are found in the Atlantic in vast shoals, 

 and many fishermen traffic with these comparatively worth- 

 less fish as early as the month of April. In the interests of 

 the Lewis fishermen alone a close time is needed, and this 

 is asked to be from the i$th of March to the i$th of 

 May. 



From Lewis in the Hebrides, Skye, Fort William, and 

 other adjacent districts, the boats put out for the herring 

 fishery. Sometimes after toiling all night the boats will 

 come home clean, but more generally the season is favour- 

 able and propitious ; for instance, the records for last year 

 (1882) " Stornoway Herring Fishing" show great success 

 attending the fishermen's efforts. In the beginning of May 

 for that year " shots " of from thirty to forty " crans " were 

 very common, while several were as high as fifty and sixty- 

 three crans. Whereas at Barra, in the Hebrides, very poor 

 " catches " were got, at least for the opening season of that 

 year. Again, as we shall have occasion to notice, a bad 

 opening may end in the same place with a perfect harvest 

 of fish, and vice versd, or the season may prove a very 

 fluctuating one at almost any station or district. Some- 

 times a " total failure," and often a " good season," all 

 through the different months. 



The Orkney and Shetland Isles districts follow suit, 

 passing round the north-east coast until it (the season) 

 reaches the central and main fishing stations for Scotland, 

 which is early in July. 



" The Herring Fishery " now takes the precedence over 

 the " White Fish Fishery," although both are well repre- 

 sented from the east coast fishing stations, and it ought to 

 be noticed that the best bait for catching our white fish is 

 the herring itself. 



