92 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



useless. This, however, is very liable to vary ; thus, during 

 the last week in November, 1880, drift-nets were still being 

 employed at Penzance, and took large, fat and well- 

 flavoured mackerel by thousands at night, although usually 

 catches of this sort do not occur after the beginning of 

 June or before the end of February.* 



At Rye there is a large mackerel fishery, where fixed 

 nets termed " kettle-nets " are employed, each of which is 

 a little over half a mile in kngth ; the poles to which they 

 are attached being twelve feet high, while each contains 

 three chambers or bights. They commence being used 

 on April I4th, and are continued until the end of 

 November. 



, Droves of sea-fowl flying above, and every now and then 

 swooping down upon the fish, often give a good indication 

 of where they are, the circling, screaming birds acting as 

 detectives. 



When mackerel are in small and divided companies, 

 hand-lining becomes more remunerative than netting, and 

 it has been observed that a greater proportionate success 

 generally attends the employment of several lines used 

 together, while several hooks are best on one line. Those 

 captured by hooks and lines, due to their being less 

 knocked about, generally command a better price in the 

 market than such as have been netted. Although these 

 fish may be taken from a boat at anchor, the favourite time 

 for fishing for mackerel with a bait is when there is a little 

 ripple on the sea, and a light gale is blowing, termed a 

 "mackerel breeze" by fishermen, which takes the boat 

 along at a fair speed under sail, while should the sky be 



* The pilchard season of 1879 ran into January, 1880; while the 

 mackerel season of 1880 commenced in the latter part of January, 

 1880. T. CORNISH. 



