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Is trawl fish migratory ? 



Doubtless, as fishermen know from experience, it is use- 

 less trying certain grounds in some months ; but at regular 

 periods fish will be found there, and they are pretty regular 

 in the time of their return or taking off as is the swallow. 

 Our fishermen may be said to follow the fish, going from 

 one ground to another as the seasons come round. 



The fishing grounds most frequented by vessels from 

 the Humber are the shoal of the Dogger, the S.W. and 

 N.W. spit of the Dogger, Clay Deeps, the N.E. part of the 

 Dogger called the "Cemetery" from the rough, stony 

 nature of the bottom compared to grave-stones, the 

 Fisher Bank, and beyond the Fisher Bank, Jutland Reefs, 

 the Long Forties, the Horn Reefs, the Sylt, the Am ram 

 Bank, Heligoland, off the entrance of the Weser and Elbe, 

 Nordney, Borkum, Terchelling, Texel, &c., besides other 

 grounds south of the Humber, such as the Wells Bank, &c. 

 Messrs. Hewett (the Barking fleet) now rarely go fishing 

 below Heligoland, but keep about Borkum and Nordney 

 in the summer, and the S.E. part of the Dogger and Botney 

 in the winter. 



Plaice are to be found only in the spring, and fall on the 

 shoal of the Dogger, and in the summer on the Horn Reef 

 and Borkum. In winter below the Dogger and off the 

 Flambro' Head. 



Haddocks are found in abundance on the S. W. spit of the 

 Dogger, about October ; in September and October, they 

 work along the pit edge of the Dogger, and, when taken, 

 they are found to have plenty of herring and spawn in them. 



Soles are caught on hard sandy ground, in warm weather 

 taking to deep water, such as the pits where the bottom is 

 muddy and soft in winter, for warmth. 



