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Appendices to Fortieth Annual Report 



not been employed in winter for about 25 years, as operations are usually 

 confined to the Bays on the coasts of the Sound. Stormy weather 

 interrupted the fishing during the following week, but in the week 

 ended 29th January the landings were the heaviest for the year. 

 Unfortunately prices fell as low as Is. 6d. per quarter cran basket, and 

 1300 baskets of good quality had to be thrown into the sea, which 

 discouraged operations for the next fortnight. A few crews made 

 a very unsuccessful trip to Stranraer, where the demand was no 

 keener. Spawning herrings were secured in Kildalloig Bay from the 

 end of February to the beginning of April, but the demand continued poor, 

 otherwise the landings might have been much heavier. Shoals of spent 

 herrings were then located along the Arran shore, but fishing was 

 carried on only half-heartedly owing to poor markets until the last two 

 weeks of the month, when fair catches were landed. During May 

 transport was completely disorganised by the coal dispute and the 

 Glasgow dockers' strike, and a number of local fishermen landed their 

 catches at Ayr, but because of the impaired railway facilities they 

 sometimes met with poor markets, and had on one or two occasions to 

 " dump " their herrings. 



Seven pairs of local boats went north at this time to the fishings at 

 Canna and Raasay, and continued there until well into July, but only 

 two pairs had good success. 



The fishing was fair during June, catches being obtained all over 

 the Sound, but during July was a failure. In the first fortnight of 

 August some good catches were secured south of Arran and Kilbrannan 

 Sound, but towards the end of the month landings were again very 

 disappointing. Results during September were poor, but the fishermen 

 reported the presence of herrings in the Sound although unable to 

 secure good catches. October opened with good prospects, and fair 

 catches were obtained in the first fortnight, after which rough weather 

 interrupted the fishing. 



In November and December most of the local boats were engaged 

 in Loch Fyne, and all made fair wages, as when the fish struck the 

 shallow water at the entrance to Upper Loch Fyne very heavy catches 

 were secured. The only herrings landed in this district during those 

 months were brought from Loch Fyne by local crews. 



The long period of slack fishing during the summer proved very 

 trying to many local crews, but the majority had a much better year 

 than fishermen on the East Coast. 



The usual fleet of East Coast motor great-line boats started here 

 early in January, but catches were disappointing and markets un- 

 favourable, and by the beginning of March the majority had gone home, 

 leaving only four crews who continued, with better results, until the end 

 of April. 



The results of the cod fishing at Gigha were poorer than in 1920. 

 Most of the cod landed was dried and sold to Glasgow and the Ayrshire 

 ports by the fishermen themselves. 



Herrings cured chiefly at Campeltown during the winter fishing were 

 shipped via Glasgow to Leith, mainly for distribution to home centres, 

 and the balance of the cure was sold locally. A small kipper house was 

 erected at Carradale during the year, but as at Campbeltown, because 

 of the poor summer fishing, kippering was almost confined to supplying 

 district requirements. 



Small-line fishing is engaged in chiefly by small sail and rowing 

 boats, but a few motor boats worked from Campbeltown during the 

 spring and early summer months, when some fine catches of whitings 

 were secured. 



