CHAPTER XI 

 THE BRITISH HERRING FISHERY 



The herring The lugger Night-work Signs ! ' Lythe "Shooting 

 the tackle How the drift-net is worked The trial shot Shooting 

 a "fleet "The net filling Hauling in The first strike A 

 second shot More than they can carry " Maze, " "cran," and 

 " last "Getting rid of the catch. 



A") a popular dish, where the poorer classes through- 

 out the western world are concerned, the herring is 

 hard to beat. If it were not such a prolific and 

 consequently cheap fish, it would no doubt find favour 

 even in the eyes of wealthy epicures ; for, in all its forms, 

 fresh, salted, kippered, or red, it is more appetising and 

 sustaining than many of the more expensive fish. 



Herring are in season whenever they can be procured, 

 which is at almost all times of the year ; though during 

 the first three months they are not at their best. Roughly 

 speaking, from June to October is the season for the 

 British fishery. 



All round our coast are herring boats of some sort or 

 other ; but the important fleets hail from sundry Scotch 

 and North Country ports ; from Yarmouth, of course ; 

 from Ireland and the Isle of Man, and from North Devon. 

 There is not a great deal of difference between the craft 

 and methods in use in these various districts ; and perhaps 



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