of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



29 



VI. 



In the early part of December another series of trawlings was made, 

 the steam trawler employed being the "Loch Lydoch." In the Moray Firth 

 Burghead Bay was the first place visited. A haul there on the 6th, in 

 from 16 to 4| fathoms, but chiefly under 7, for four hours, gave 

 1007 fishes, of which 849 were marketable and 158 unmarketable. 

 Plaice formed the bulk of the catch ; 747 were obtained, all 

 but 9 being marketable. There were also 8 cod, 4 turbot, 21 

 brill, and 3 lemon dabs. Only 20 haddocks were taken, and they 

 were all unmarketable. The plaice amounted to nine level basketfuls, 

 five consisting of mediums, one of large, and the rest thirds. The 

 weather was fine, the sea calm, with a gentle westerly breeze. 



The second drag, for four-and-a-quarter hours, was made in the same 

 place and in the same depths, and the catch amounted to 1082 fishes, 939 

 being marketable and 142 unmarketable. The number of plaice caught 

 was 853, all being marketable; 11 were large, 291 medium, and 551 

 small. Included in the catch were 18 cod, 2 turbot, 13 brill, and 

 a cat-fish. Haddocks were very scarce, only seven being taken, 

 one of which was marketable. In the same locality the third drag, for 

 four hours and ten minutes, in from six to nine fathoms, yielded 1120 

 fishes, of which 950 were marketable and 170 unmarketable. There 

 were 860 plaice, all marketable, twelve being large, 318 medium, and 530 

 small. There were also ten brill, twelve cod, and thirty-two haddocks, 

 of which only six were marketable. 



The next haul extended into deeper water, viz., twenty fathoms, but was 

 mostly about eight or nine, and in the four hours and five minutes it 

 lasted 953 fishes were taken, of which 897 were marketable and 56 

 unmarketable. The catch included 823 plaice, all marketable, two turbot, 

 nineteen brill, a cod, and a few dabs. There were twenty-one haddocks, 

 all unmarketable. 



A drag for an hour with the small-meshed net around the cod-end of 

 the trawl yielded in the latter 208 fishes, plaice again predominating. 

 The small-meshed net contained 329 fishes, as follows : — 



Codling, - - 8 Sand-eel, - - 6 



Whiting, - - - 134 Herrings, - - 129 



Common Dab, - - 18 Sprats, 23 



Long Rough Dab, - 1 



The vessel then steamed to the Dornoch Firth, where a few hauls were 

 made. The first, with the small- meshed net around the cod-end, lasted 

 for an hour, and was made in from 4 to 9 fathoms. The number of 

 fish taken was 213 — 178 being marketable and 35 unmarketable. The 

 catch included 1 cod, 3 codling, 18 haddocks, all marketable, 156 plaice, 

 and a few others. 



A few other hauls were made around a dan, placed in 12 fathoms. 

 In the first of these, the drag lasting four hours and twenty minutes, 934 

 fishes were secured, of which 811 were marketable. The catch included 

 737 plaice, 55 of which were unmarketable, and 117 haddocks, all but ten 

 of which were marketable. The next haul was not completely recorded ; 

 it included two baskets of medium and one of small plaice, one basket of 

 large and one of small haddocks. Another drag made in from 8 to 

 12 fathoms, and lasting for five hours, yielded 850 fishes, 742 being 

 marketable and 108 unmarketable. Plaice formed the bulk of the catch, 

 746 being taken, of which 33 were unmarketable ■ only 7 haddocks 

 c 



