of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



27 



Round Fish. 





Cod. 



Codling. 



Had- 

 dock. 



Whiting. 



Gur- 

 nard. 



Saithe. 



Ling. 



Cat-fish. 



No. 



52 



79 



2,837 



423 



50 



5 



2 



27 



Av. per haul, 



5-8 



8-8 



315-2 



47-0 



5-6 



0-6 



0-2 



3-0 



Av. per hour, 



1-4 



2-2 



78-8 



11-7 



1-4 



0-1 



0-05 



0-7 



When compared with the similar figures referring to the fishing in 

 the previous week in the deeper water off the Shetlands, it will be seen 

 that the corresponding averages for halibut and lemon soles were the 

 same— the numbers, however, being very small,— and that in all other 

 cases the averages for flat-fishes were less on the Fisher Bank, with the 

 exception of plaice. In the case of the latter the difference was great, 

 viz. 0*1 and 14*4 — i.e., plaice were one hundred and forty-four times 

 more numerous on the Fisher Bank. The difference in the case of 

 witches was also marked in the contrary way, the average per hour's 

 fishing on the Fisher Bank being 0-1, and off the Shetlands 25*1, this 

 fish being 125 times more abundant on the latter grounds. As already 

 stated, no megrims were caught on the Fisher Bank, while the average 

 on the north-eastern grounds was 4*9 per hour. 



Among round-fishes the average was greater in the deeper water for all 

 species except adult cod ; for cod it was only 0*9 per hour's fishing as 

 compared with 1'4 on the Fisher Bank — not a great difference. The 

 difference in the averages for codling was much more marked, viz. 19*7 

 off the Shetlands and 2*2 on the Fisher Bank, The relatively large 

 proportion of codling in the deeper waters is referred to elsewhere. 

 Haddocks were more than twice as abundant on the deeper grounds, 

 whitings five times, and gurnards four times more numerous. Cat-fish, 

 on the other hand, were almost in equal proportions in the two regions. 



After two days' trial of the Fisher Bank the unproductive nature of 

 the catches necessitated a change of ground, and the vessel steamed about 

 forty-five miles in the direction of N.W. by W. While work was being 

 carried on on the Fisher Bank the wind had been blowing a moderate 

 breeze from the east and north-east, and latterly strongly from the east, 

 and the position of the vessel at the end was more westerly than when 

 operations were begun, the last drag being made in thirty-seven 

 fathoms. 



The first haul was made on the evening of 2nd June, on the edge of 

 the deeper water, in sixty fathoms, on a fine sandy bottom, approximately 

 about ninety miles east from Buchan Ness. The catch was not com- 

 pletely recorded, but it included twelve cod, a basket of haddocks, one- 

 and-a-half basket of witches, and two specimens of the Great Silver 

 Smelt {Argentina silus). The next haul was made for four hours a 

 little farther on, in eighty fathoms, the catch consisting of 466 fishes, 

 of which 429 were marketable. It included fifteen cod, fifty-two codling, 

 164 haddocks, thirty- five whitings, five coal-fish, a ling, a tusk, four 

 megrims, and 156 witches. The next haul was made in the same locality 

 in eighty-one fathoms, and was somewhat better, the fishes taken num- 

 bering 690, of which 628 were marketable. It comprised five cod, 142 

 codlings, 229 haddocks, seventeen whitings, six coal-fish, two ling, one 

 tusk, 253 witches, twenty-three long rough dabs, and one grey skate. 



