26 Part III. — Twenty-third Annual Report 





Halibut. 



Turbot. 



Plaice. 



Common 

 Dab. 



Long 

 Rough 

 Dab. 



Skate. 



Angler. 



I. 

 II. 



2 



6 



346 



59 

 230 



76 



293 



12 



Total 



2 



3 



346 



239 



76 



293 



12 



V. 



The next series of trawling observations was made in the Moray Firth 

 in the latter part of November, the trawler employed being the " Bracon- 

 hill." Burghead Bay was first visited, and three hauls were taken there 

 on the 21st and 22nd in from 5 to 15 fathoms. In the first the 

 number of fishes secured in the three hours and fifteen minutes the drag 

 lasted was 462, of which 421 were marketable. The bulk of the catch 

 consisted of plaice, of which 405 were caught, mostly small and mediums. 

 Haddocks were scarce, only 28 being taken, and they were all unmarket- 

 able. Seven brill were also included in this catch. In the next haul, 

 for three hours and fifty minutes, 1385 fishes were obtained, 1145 being 

 marketable and 240 unmarketable. The number of plaice was large, 

 viz., 1072, and they were all marketable, chiefly small and mediums. 

 Four turbot and 12 brill were also caught in this drag. The other 

 two hauls on this ground were equally productive, the catches totalling 

 1307 and 1493 fishes respectively, the greater proportion being market- 

 able, and consisting chiefly of plaice. 



The vessel then steamed to the so-called " witch-ground," off Cromart} 7 , 

 and made a haul there in 27 to 30 fathoms for an hour and ten 

 minutes with the small- meshed net around the cod-end ; there was a 

 strong breeze from the N.N.E., with snow showers and a rough sea. 

 The number of fishes in the cod-end was 310, of which 67 were market- 

 able ; they chiefly consisted of whitings, witches, and dabs. The small- 

 meshed net contained the following fishes : — 



Codling, - 



2 



Long Rough Dab, 



- 152 



Haddock, 



- 17 



Common Dab, - 



- 94 



Whiting, - 



- 349 



Witch, - 



- 21 



Norway Pout, - 



- 83 



Gurnards, 



4 



Hake, 



4 







Two other hauls were taken in this locality, the catches of which were 

 not recorded ; in the second the net was split and the ground rope 

 broken, and the vessel lay to till morning and then returned to Burghead 

 Bay, where a series of hauls were made. In the first of these, in 

 from 7 to 19 fathoms, for four hours and a half, 1139 fishes 

 were secured, of which 939 were marketable and 200 unmarketable. The 

 plaice numbered 917, and the haddocks 155, all of the latter except five 

 being too small for market ; a turbot and 1 1 brill were also taken. 

 In the next drag 1049 fishes were taken in the four hours and ten minutes 

 it lasted, almost all marketable, viz., 998, and mostly plaice, which num- 

 bered 962. In the third drag, for four hours and fifteen minutes, 1283 

 fishes were captured, 1199 of which were marketable; and in a fourth 

 haul 1339 were taken, 1262 being marketable, plaice again forming the 

 greater portion of the catch, which also included 7 turbot 18 brill. 



