TRAWLING-SHIPS AND AREAS. 95 



thus are steadily increasing. Year by year, therefore, 

 changes in the methods of line-fishing are progressing, such 

 as steam-liners, and steam-power for hauling nets and lines. 



Nine steam-trawlers and 6 sailing trawlers and 104 men 

 and boys were added to the fleet, and considerable improve- 

 ments in the construction and accommodation were made in 

 the best vessels. 



In 1884 trawling was carried on within a 'reasonable 

 distance' of land, so that the paddle-ship could deliver the 

 catches of the night in time for the market next morning, or 

 the daily ' carrier ' of the fleet of steam-trawlers from Granton, 

 by leaving the fishing-grounds in the afternoon or evening with 

 the united catch, could reach that port early next morning. 

 The vessels from the Moray Firth could land their fresh fishes 

 at Macduff or Aberdeen, and the vessels from Montrose and 

 Dundee carried fresh fishes to those towns. 



For fifteen years the trawl-fishery has been prosecuted with 

 vigour, and it is interesting now to see what areas the ships 

 frequent, and with what results. To commence with the most 

 northerly, viz., Aberdeen, at which trawling has made great 

 progress since the former date (1884), it is found that, whereas 

 the chief supplies were brought fresh from the adjoining sea by 

 the older paddle-ships, or from the Moray Firth by the more 

 powerful vessels, much of the supply of the present day comes 

 from the ' Great Fisher Bank ' or from Iceland. Instead of the 

 activity displayed in 1884 in the strip of sea from 10 to 20 

 miles off the coast, between Aberdeen and Montrose, only a few 

 vessels are now seen at work here and there in good weather. 

 Fishes are by no means absent from this area, and at certain 

 times occur in considerable abundance, but the individual 

 catches at other times are limited ; and on the rough ground 

 10 or 11 miles off, in So fathoms, it sometimes happens that, 

 after three hours' trawling, about the same time has to be spent 

 in mending the net. Yet lemon-dabs and sail-flukes or 

 'megrims' (Arnoglossus megastoma) in the deeper and softer 

 parts, with the larger haddocks and other forms, render the 

 work there still worthy of attention. If small haddocks brought 

 fair prices, the work would, indeed, be tolerably remunerative, 



