236 Ai^jjendices to Twenty -ninth Annual Report 



landed by three local crews working long lines. The fish were, as a rule, 

 sent off to English markets by the fishermen themselves, and fair returns 

 were obtained. At Irvine some fair catches of plaice and flounders were 

 obtained by means of bag-nets during the latter months of the year. The 

 hauls varied up to about 6 cwts., and the best day's fishing was about 20 

 cwts. for five boats. Since beam trawling was prohibited in the Firth of 

 Clyde, plaice and flounders seem to be getting rather more plentiful. The 

 fish were of fair size at the beginning, but gradually smaller fish were caught. 

 They were mostly sent to the Glasgow market, where they realised fair prices, 

 but a fair proportion was retailed in the locality where they Avere landed. 



At Troon some mackerel were, as usual, caught by hand -lines. 



Irvine was the only station where herring fishing was followed in the 

 summer months, several local and stranger crews working seine and drift' 

 nets there. The catches varied up to about 42 crans. The herrings were 

 mostly of medium size, and the bulk of them was sent to the Glasgow 

 market. The fishing ground was in Irvine Bay and on the Arran coast. 

 The earnings of the crews ranged between X50 and £100. 



At Millport, Saltcoats, and Largs some light catches of herrings were also 

 landed, but at the two latter places they were generally of small size and 

 poor quality. Some fair catches of herrings were also got off West Kilbride 

 and Ardrossan during the middle of August, most of which were purchased 

 at sea by buying steamers. The foregoing places were the only stations 

 where herring fishing was carried on. Fishermen at some of the stations 

 are not so prepared now to follow herring fishing, as their nets are practically 

 worn out and are not being replaced. 



At Saltcoats, six fishing skiffs followed lobster fishing along the' coast and 

 met with fair success, the catches ranging up to about 8 dozen per haul of 

 the creels, and in one week one crew caught about 24 dozen. The fish, 

 which were mostly of a medium size, were sent principally to English 

 markets, but a proportion went to Glasgow. This fishing was not so success- 

 ful as in the previous year. 



Four steam trawlers and four liners worked from Glasgow during the 

 summer months, and fished on various fishing grounds on the West Coast. 

 The catches of the liners consisted chiefly of cod, ling, halibut, and skate. 

 The value of the highest shot landed by a trawler was £112, while that of 

 a liner was about £200. Their fish were all disposed of in the Glasgow 

 market. No steam trawlers worked from Troon during the year, and no 

 herrings were landed at Glasgow by trawlers from the Irish coast. Three 

 drifters landed shots of herrings taken from off Loch Swilly in the month of 

 January, which realised from 20s. to 22s. per cran. The highest shot 

 amounted to 150 crans. Several cargoes of fresh herrings in boxes were 

 brought from Downings Bay to Glasgow by the buying steamers of local 

 firms, which were partly sold fresh, partly cured gutted, and partly kippered. 



Quantities of mussels were as usual sent from Greenock and Port-Glasgow 

 to various East Coast and other stations for bait purposes. They are fairly 

 plentiful on the beds, and mostly of fair size. The quantity and value of 

 other kinds of shell-fish taken in the district have been gradually decreasing 

 of late years. 



At the fishmarket the supplies of all kinds of smoked, fresh, and dried 

 fish were similar to those of previous years, an average of fully 4000 boxes 

 passing through the market daily. There were complaints at times regarding 

 the small size of much of the fish. Local buying steamers brought many 

 cargoes of fresh herrings in boxes from various stations on the West Coast, 

 which were disposed of in the market, generally at fair prices. Dry ling 

 sold at from 27s. to 31s., cod, 24s. to 26s., and saithe, 13s. to 15s. per cwt., and 

 West Coast cured herrings up to 40s. a barrel. Cured herrings supplied to 

 the retail merchants in Glasgow were well cured. 



The exports of cured herrings to the United States numbered several 



