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Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



second shrimp-trawl from the bow, the smack heading north, and drifting 

 broadside with the tide and against the wind. In half an hour we drew 

 in both trawls, the produce of our draw being about, twelve quarts of 

 shrimps (Crangon vulgaris). Besides shrimps, we also had — 



Young plaice {Pleuronectes plates&a, L.). Very abundant. 



Young flounder (Pleuronectes flesus, L.). Very abundant. 



Young sole (Solea vulgaris, L.). One. 



Young whiting (Gadus merlangus, L.). One. 



Young agonus (Agonus cataphractus, C). Few. 



Young sting fish (Trachinus vipera, Cuv. and Val.). Abundant. 



Hermit crab (Eupagurus, sp.). One. 



Having made sail for a run to leeward, the fisherman riddled the pro- 

 duce in a specially constructed shrimp sieve, and also picked out every- 

 thing but the large shrimps. All except the large shrimps were then 

 thrown overboard, the small fish and small shrimps being alive and active. 



We came to anchor abreast of Burn Point at 8 o'clock, and till 9 o'clock 

 were engaged in boiling the large shrimps and cooking breakfast. We 

 proceeded still further up the Firth, and at 9.30 a.m. we put the flounder- 

 trawl overboard opposite the mouth of the Nith, and trawled for 15 

 minutes or so. The produce of this haul was only four flat-fish. Pro- 

 ceeding still further with the quickly flowing tide till we were 4 miles east 

 of the Nith, we again sent the trawl overboard, and in a quarter of an hour 

 obtained 1| stones of flounder and plaice. The smaller flat-fish were at 

 once returned to the sea. 



Having therefore seen the modus operandi, we ran alongside of two or 

 three of the whemmle boats that were fishing for salmon with their drift- 

 nets, and then with a fair wind and tide made for Annan, which we 

 reached shortly before 1 o'clock in the afternoon, s 



History. 



In 1854 two Morecambe fishermen began shrimping at Annan, but soon 

 left. This kind of fishing has been carried on at Morecambe since the 

 beginning of this century, and is still pursued there, and at Fleetwood and 

 other places along the English coast. 



The Annan shrimp fishing has been carried on continuously since the 

 spring of 1856, and the numbers engaged in it are now greater than they 

 have ever been. 



Time. 



From the middle of February till the beginning of November the fisher- 

 men go shrimping, and during the winter months they are engaged in 

 fluke fishing. Almost thirty years ago herring fishing was carried on in the 

 Solway in May, June, July, September, October, and November, but now 

 the men do not prosecute this fishing so regularly. For almost a month 

 last year there was a good herring fishing. The herrings are landed at 

 Whitehaven, Workington, and Maryport, and consequently are not included 

 in the Returns of the Fishery Board for Scotland ; and a like remark 

 applies to the skate fishing, which is not, however, so important. 



Boats and Nets. 



There are 52 trawl boats at present in Annan, 8 at Bowness in Cumber- 

 land, and 8 at Creetown in Wigtown Bay. These boats are rigged with 

 mainsail, foresail, gib, and topsail, and are about 33 feet keel, 9 feet beam, 



