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Appendices to Fourth Annual Report 



and early autumn, e.g., August, the boats seeking the 26-fathom ground off 

 the Bell Rock would leave the harbour about 11 p.m. These boats carry 

 main and mizzen masts, with foresail and mizzen (ordinary) sails. Each 

 man in the boat (7 in the larger and 5 in the smaller) has eight strings 

 in summer and four in winter, making two entire lines in the former case 

 and one in the latter. Each string has twelve scores of hooks, 44 to 45 

 inches apart from each other on the line. The lines are carefully baited 

 by the women of the family, and laid most neatly and regularly in the 

 basket, the rows of folds being kept separate by a thin layer of ' bent- 

 grass.' The dexterity of the women in removing the mussels from their 

 shells, in baiting and arranging the lines, is nowhere more remarkable 

 than at St Andrews. It is clear that upon the latter much of the success of 

 the fishing depends. On reaching the fishing-ground, for instance (some 

 miles south-east of the Bell Rock), the flags and buoys are got ready. The 

 flag consists of a tough tapering pole from 10 to 14 feet in length, having at 

 the upper end one or two small black flags (one above the other), a heavy 

 piece of iron pipe at the lower end as a sinker to keep it erect, and a mass 

 of cork near the water-line to float it. One is put overboard, and attached 

 to it is a string, with three or four bladders as floats, fixed to a heavy 

 sinker (30 to 40 lbs.), the free string of the latter being modified according 

 to the depth of the water. To the long line attached to the sinker the 

 first line (from a basket) is joined. The boat meanwhile, in the case of a 

 south-east wind, is kept on a course E. by N.E. (about six points to the 

 wind), under the mainsail only, or more rarely under both sails in light 

 wind, the skipper often at the helm and the senior fisherman ready with 

 his line. As the boat progresses the man pays out the first line in the 

 case mentioned, over the port-side near the stern, in some instances over 

 the ' funnel,' a cylinder of zinc about 2 feet 8 inches in length and 6 

 inches in diameter, with a rim at one end for the hand in steadying. 

 This simple instrument prevents injury to the hand from the hooks in 

 paying out. Before the first line is exhausted the second is attached, 

 and so on with the series. So carefully are the lines adjusted in the 

 baskets by the women that it is rare that a ' lump ' is sent overboard. 

 The older plan in shooting lines is to lift the line with the right or left 

 hand rapidly and pay out over the side of the boat, the fisherman stand- 

 ing with his back to the stern. The wounds from the hooks, however, 

 caused them occasionally to use a stick, such as the shaft of a club, to 

 lift and pay out. Each line has 960 hooks baited with mussels, and it 

 lasts from six to seven years. Two sets are generally in use. Each line 

 costs about .£3, and thus they are somewhat cheaper than at Eyemouth, 

 where the cost was stated to be .£3, 10s.* The time required for paying 

 out the lines varies from three-quarters of an hour or less to two hours, ac- 

 cording to their number and the amount of wind. In the middle of the 

 lines a flag-buoy like that first put out is placed, and to the end of the last 

 line another with its floats and sinker. The boat on concluding the paying 

 out lies-to for half-an-hour or a little more, with sails down. At the end 

 of this period the mainsail is put up, or with a good wind half hoisted, and 

 the buoys, the flag, and sinker are drawn up (bladders are caught with 

 a grapnel, or with a short boat-hook or ' clip,' a kind of gaff), and the 

 lines are hauled in. In the case formerly mentioned (S.E. wind, with 

 the lines shot E.N.E.), the lines are pulled in over the port-side but 

 further forward than whence shot. The side of course varies with the 

 wind. It might be supposed that the lines last shot woald have less 

 time for the capture of fishes, but sometimes the best catch occurs on 

 them. In summer the bait is much destroyed by young fishes, so that 

 * Report of H.M. Trawling Commission, 1885. 



