no NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



of the Plymouth Fisheries Association, is not a market- 

 able name. Mr. Murdoch strongly advised fishermen 

 to bring to market all the " flake" they could catch, in 

 order to sell it, and he made the interesting statement 

 that some years ago he offered to send "flake" to 

 Liverpool by his company's steamers, in lots of up to 

 fifty tons, and to send it free of charge, but not a single 

 pound was sent. On the other hand, at the same meet- 

 ing, Mr. J. Jacobs declared that not only did the fisher- 

 men catch all the dogfish they could, but also used 

 special bait ; yet it was not worth while to trouble 

 about this special fish, because the better sorts were 

 so easily obtainable. Generally speaking, a profitable 

 price cannot be obtained for dogfish. Ninety-five per 

 cent, of this fish sent from Plymouth was sold for 

 London fried-fish shops, and the rest was disposed of 

 in south coast towns. 



Prejudice is hard to conquer, and no objection is 

 more difficult to overcome than that which relates to 

 food. Dogfish is dogfish, if it is labelled honestly ; but, 

 described as flake and properly trimmed, it is a good and 

 wholesome dish. Snails, appearing on a menu as such, 

 would be unattractive as a course ; but, written down as 

 " escargots," and included in a French bill of fare, they 

 become a delicacy to the epicure. In the same way 

 catfish may be disguised and relished in proportion to 

 the craft and cunning of the title ; but, displayed for sale 

 in all its native repulsiveness, it is not likely to find a 

 buyer. In some of the coast towns, where great numbers 

 of catfish are landed, the animal would not be thought 

 of for a moment ; but, with the hideous head cut off and 

 the foul-looking hide removed, the firm white flesh is 



