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the year, and the fishing grounds where their operations 

 have been carried on. During the summer months, whelks 

 and herrings are now used, and from October to April, 

 lampreys and whelks by the vessels that go to the Dogger 

 and the Great Fishery Banks, but whelks only by the 

 vessels that fish on the grounds nearer home. 



The cost of bait is a considerable item in the outfit of a 

 cod smack, amounting to from twelve to twenty pounds per 

 voyage. Ice is another item, which may be put as from 

 seven pounds to ten pounds per voyage, and these, together 

 with wages and food for the crew, harbour dues and other 

 requirements, bring the current expenses of a smack up to 

 about thirty pounds weekly, without any allowance for wear 

 and tear, insurance or interest on capital invested. 



The vessels are insured in local mutual insurance 

 societies against total and partial loss up to a sum 

 representing from one half to two-thirds of their value, and 

 the yearly cost of assurance seldom exceeds two and a 

 half per cent, of amount assured. A smack such as I have 

 described of about eighty tons register costs ready for sea 

 from 1,600 to 1,800. 



Previous to 1862 the long-line operations never extended 

 beyond the Dogger Bank. But since then they have year 

 after year been carried further northerly and easterly, and 

 at the present time the whole area from Shetland south- 

 wards is fished upon. 



As soon as the vessel arrives on the fishing ground, the 

 lines are got ready, and the hooks baited. Where whelks 

 are used as bait, the shells are broken with a mallet, the 

 snail is sorted out, and carefully put on the hook. If 

 lamprey or herrings are used, they are cut into small slices 

 and so put on the hook. A curious fact with regard to 

 this kind of bait is, that cod, haddock, or ling will seldom 



