xlviii 



Fifth Annual Report of the 



Campbeltown District. 



Boundary of 

 District. 



Boats 

 employed. 



Season 

 successful. 



Barrels cured. 



Particulars of 

 Fishing. 



Earnings of 



Seine-net 



Boats. 



Fishing 

 Grounds. 



Quality, prices 

 and total value 

 of Catch. 



Steamers 

 employed. 



From Tayinloan, inclusive, round the Mull of Cantyre to Skipness Point 

 inclusive; including the islands of Oolonsay, Jura, Islay, Gigha, and Sanda. 



District Fishery Office— Campbeltown. 



Campbeltown district had a fleet of 432 boats employed in the 

 herring fishing of 1886. Both drift and seine or circle-nets were 

 used. The season was a most successful one, the aggregate quantity 

 of herrings landed being very large. The total Dumber of barrels 

 cured, or sent to market lightly salted for immediate use, was 

 42,312, as compared with 45,342 in 1885, being a decrease of 3030 

 barrels. As regards this decrease, however, it is important to note 

 that the fishing of 1885 was one of the greatest ever made in the 

 district. Large shoals of herrings appeared in Kilbrannan Sound 

 early in the spring of 1886, and the fishing began in April, which 

 was much before the usual time, and was continued till about the 

 end of the year. In the week ending December 18th the takes 

 landed were exceptionally heavy, more particularly by the boats 

 which used seine or circle-nets. Several crews of two boats, 

 using these nets and fishing together, landed takes rangiug from 

 112 to 165 crans ; and one double crew realised £1100 for the 

 season's catch. On 17th December a gross catch of about 8000 

 crans was landed, which was understood to be the largest fishing 

 ever made in the district in one day. The principal fishing- 

 grounds lay in Kilbrannan Sound, and in Lochindaal, Islay. The 

 latter ground, in so far as known, had never been fished for 

 herrings before except for bait, and large quantities of them were 

 found in that loch from August till December. With the excep- 

 tion of those landed in April and May, the quality of the herrings 

 taken throughout the season was generally good, and fully above 

 the average of recent years. The prices, however, were usually 

 lower, and ranged from 8s. or less, to 40s. a crau. The total value 

 of the entire catch — fresh and cured — was £57,000. As many 

 as twelve steamers were occasionally employed in the district, 

 buying and taking the herrings to market. 



Inveraray District. 



Boundary of From Oban to Tayinloan, both exclusive ; including the lochs and islands 

 District. within this range of coast, and from Skipness Point and Ardlamont Point, 



both exclusive, for both sides of Loch Fyne, to the head of the loch. 



District Fishery Office — Ardrishaig. 



Fleet of Boats In Inveraray district the herring fishing of 1886 was engaged in 

 and Nets used, by a fl ee fc 0 f 236 boats, about two-thirds of which used seine or 

 circle- nets, and the remainder drift-nets. The fishing opened about 

 May 1st, aud closed early in September. From May till the 

 Particulars of middle of June, it was prosecuted along the west side of Loch Fyne, 

 Fishing. between Skipness and Ardrishaig ; and thereafter, till the middle of 

 July, between Otter Spit and the head of Loch Fyne! The most 

 successful fishing was made in July, in the neighbourhood of 

 Inveraray, where very few herrings had been caught for many years. 

 The boats fishing with the seine-nets were the most successful ; but 



