Old Cod Fisheries ; Codlings. 63 



seems related to prey, and in the case of the whiting sporadic 

 visitations of countless hordes have been notable. The bulk of 

 the . Gadidae are typically a northern group, our locality only 

 getting the tail-end of their North Sea expansive distribution. 

 Woe be sprats, young herring, or crab and lobster kind, when 

 pursued by cod, whiting, or pout. Excluding a fresh -water form 

 (Burbot), their eggs are surface-spawned, or of the floating 

 type above shewn. Their breeding haunts are mostly outside 

 our limits. 



(1) The COD (Gadus morrhua). Codfish of great size are 

 very rarely obtained by the Leigh boats in the localities now 

 frequented.* The state of things was considerably different, 

 say, half a century ago, when there was a regular Leigh cod and 

 skate fishery, of which more particulars will be given further 

 on, when treating of Long-line fishing, Section VI. Meantime, 

 we here note that when it was in vogue medium nay good-sized 

 cod were taken in quantity. These were obtained during the 

 whole of the winter months, commencing in November, the fishing 

 lasting till March. The regular fishing-grounds for both cod 

 and skate then were comprised between the Oaze channel to the 

 Naze, on occasions almost to Orfordness ; this both inshore and 

 seawards towards the Long Sand and the Kentish knock. Roughly 

 estimated, these market cod might be from 15 to 30 inches and 

 over, though our information thereon is not precise. Doubtless 

 some were sexually mature, for the critical period that the 

 North Sea cod breed is (according to Holt) from 22 to 35 inches ; 

 though ripe cod are found at 20 inches (Fulton). 



Of late years many codlings of from 4 to 8 inches long have 

 been regularly got by spratters, fish- trawlers and shrimpers in 

 various parts of the estuary, more particularly in the Oaze, 

 and even as far up the estuary as the Blyth and Holehaven, or 

 up the Medway. These immature codfish are chiefly met with 

 in the spring months. Unless of good size they are seldom 



* As this is passing through press, we have seen a cod 3 ft. 3 in. which had been 

 captured in the fish-trawl between Sheppey and the Nore Sand (28th April), by G. 

 Gilson. 



