of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



191 



to be the poorest ever experienced in the history of Stonehaven. 

 Herrings were found to be very scarce on the favourite southerly 

 grounds in July and August, and the best catches were taken in a north- 

 easterly direction. For some reason, however, the local fishermen 

 prefer to fish from the southward rather than from the northward — a 

 characteristic which seems to be prevalent in all fishing ports south of 

 Peterhead. 



Most of the boats belonging to the district landed their catches at 

 Aberdeen, where the fishermen consider better prices are obtained, 

 while the bulk of the fish landed in Stonehaven was taken, as usual, by 

 Montrose and Kirkcaldy boats. All the catch was 

 landed by sailing vessels, the individual gross earnings 

 for the season ranging from £145 to £248, and averaging 

 about £190. The quality was fairly good throughout 

 the season. The mattie class of fish was of a harder and firm.er nature 

 than usual, and especially was this noticeable among the June-caught 

 herrings. Prices were the highest obtained for some years, averaging 

 19s. 8d. per cran., against 16s. 6d. in 1911. A feature of the season 

 was that the bulk of the catch was disposed of for kippering and 

 freshing. 



The great-line fishing was engaged in during the spring by ten of 

 the largest boats. The season, however, turned out a miserably poor 

 one. The weather was very unsettled, and the boats were often kept 

 from getting to sea regularly. Although a plentiful supply of herrings 

 were to be had for bait, fish, especially cod, were unusually scarce on 

 the grounds annually visited. The season closed in June with unsatis- 

 factory returns, earnings ranging from £80 to £160, and averaging 

 £108 per boat for eleven weeks' fishing. 



Throughout the year the small-line fishing was regularly carried on, 

 but during the summer months while the herring fishing was in progress 

 the fleet was considerably reduced. The results of this fishing from 

 March to August were very unremunerative, and on many occasions the 

 shots landed did not realise the price of the mussels used as bait. From 

 September to the close of the year the fishing, however, proved, for the 

 season, the best recorded for some years. Takes of from 4 to 7 cwts. 

 of haddocks, etc., were regularly landed from grounds five to ten miles 

 off Tod Head. Taken over the whole year, however, the catch and 

 value of haddocks, codlings, etc., show decreases of 1981 cwts. and £523 

 as compared with the records of 1911. The average price per cwt. was 

 about 12s., as against 9s. 5d. for the previous year. A large proportion 

 of the catch was purchased by fishermen from Downies and 

 Portlethen, who took the fish home and smoked them for sale in 

 Aberdeen. The local buyers consigned what they bought of the catch 

 mostly to Glasgow in a fresh state. 



The shell fisheries were prosecuted with disappointing results, owing, 

 it was said, to the cold and unsettled character of the weather. The 

 total number of crabs shows a decrease from the previous year of 10,637. 

 Owing to the non-success of the fishing in the early summer, two 

 Catterline boats went to fish at Cove, Aberdeen, where the crews were 

 so well satisfied with results that they resolved to stay for good. 



Very little was done at cod and ling curing, which is now almost 

 regarded as an industry of the past. The number of barrels of herrings 

 cured gutted was the poorest on record, and the brandings amounted to 

 only 400 barrels. Prices for cured herrings were good. 

 Branded Fulls sold at an average of 32s., Mat. Full at 28s., and Matties 

 at 26s. All the herrings cured were shipped coastwise and by rail to 

 other ports for exportation. 



Only six local boats proceeded to the English herring fishing. FivQ 



