io THE HERRING FISHERY. 



being much less expensive than lead, and a casting of iron 

 of the required mould could be made at any foundry. 

 Steamboats Steamboats for fishing herrings have been tried, but on 



for fishing 



herring. account of the expense involved have hitherto been little 

 better than failures. However, I think I am safe in saying 

 that steam will yet become general in our herring fishery. 

 When such improvements are being made in the depart- 

 ments of steam and steam engines, it is difficult to say what 

 may not be in the future. 



Steam fishing Steam fishing boats would be of great service at our 



boats of great .,,,,. 11-1 



service at outside fishing grounds, which are sometimes far from har- 



fishing. bours. The fleet sometimes goes as far as thirty or forty 



miles to sea, and then calm weather or headwinds are great 



drawbacks, especially with heavy hauls on board, as if they 



are not in time for that day's market the whole cargo is 



generally lost, and likewise the following night's fishing. I 



have seen, both at Stornoway and at Howth, as many as 



two nights' fishing lost in one week with calm weather. 



Towing at At Shields towing is becoming very common among the 



oniclds. 



fishing fleet ; a tug will engage to attend six fishing boats 

 for a week for 30 5 for each boat thus showing that 

 steam for herring fishing is much required ; and it is to be 

 hoped that, seeing steam trawlers have been so successful 

 in other fishings, it will not be long before steam will be 

 employed in this fishing also. 



The year 1848 Returning, in the matter of nets, to the year 1848, I may 



nets. 



Cutch. fi rs t mention that cutch was for some previous years used 



Tanning of by fishermen in tanning nets, sails, &c. It is a great im- 



nets. 



provement on the old system of boiling oak or larch bark 

 to draw the tanning qualities from them. I have seen days 

 and nights occupied under the old system in doing an 

 Advantages amount of work that with cutch can now be done in as 

 many hours. The cutch has only to be melted in water 



