SOME ODD NOTES ON YARMOUTH FISHES. 221 



The decay of the local trawling industry, and our dependence 

 on Lowestoft vessels for even what little "offal" is used in 

 our fish-shops, has led to a falling-off of many interesting 

 species which, although not really local fish, albeit many of these 

 boats trawl as near home as Cromer Knowle, at one time spiced 

 one's interest by a sight of an occasional curiosity or sea- 

 monster. A similar remark might apply to the Herring fishing, 

 with its present-day rush and unrest — nothing that is unsaleable 

 is bothered about, and so without a doubt many strange species 

 are thrown back into the sea that in years gone by — in the 

 leisurely old days — would have been brought ashore, to find one 

 of the hands a small equivalent in tobacco, or the skipper a few 

 shillings some showman might proffer him. Twenty years 

 ago, when the fishing-luggers were mostly, if not all, sailing- 

 boats — the Scotch boats, at any rate — the Scotch fishermen, 

 thrifty and speculative, used to take to sea with them long 

 hand-lines, for the purpose of catching Cods while the boats 

 were lying to the net-warp drifting. Scores of excellent and 

 large Codfish were brought by them to the fish-wharf, their sale 

 making a nice little addition to the crews' earnings on occasion. 



Since the deepening of the harbour-mouth and the constant 

 dredging of the rivers have let up so much more water, the 

 " salts " continually go higher up the rivers, and high tides are 

 more frequent. One effect of this incursion of salt water may 

 be seen in the deterioration of the common reed ; localities that 

 in my younger days were bright in summer-time with stretches 

 of waving reeds are now bare of them. Old Breydoners have 

 reminded me of reeds that grew halfway down beside Breydon 

 north walls, and twenty years ago there grew a goodly patch 

 near where my houseboat is moored. The Eoach now never 

 visit Breydon but by an accident of tide, whereas fifty years 

 ago they were commonly caught there with Flounders in nets. 



The Perch was in Lubbock's time still a regular visitor to 

 St. Olave's. He writes : " St. Oiave's bridge . . . has long been 

 celebrated as a station for anglers; ... if Shrimps are up as 

 high as the bridge, it is generally found that Perch are there 

 also." Sir Thomas Browne mentions their capture on Breydon 

 "in mixed water." It was usual to take large Perch in the 

 trammel-nets set for Flounders. I have not seen a Perch of any 

 size taken at St. Olave's for a very long time ; a few Eoach and 



