of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



33 



In 1864 the fishing began early in July, and was carried on at Arran 

 and the west side of Bute during that month, none being got in the 

 Kyles. There is no information for August and September, but at the 

 end of the latter month the fishing was chiefly at Ardlamont Point and 

 the west side of Bute, the catch up to the 24th September being 2240 

 crans. The shoals were now reported to be settling into the Kyles, and in 

 October the fishing was carried on there and in Loch Riddon. In 

 November great takes were got in these places ; about the middle of the 

 month the herrings were also found in Loch Striven, and at the end of 

 the month they were very abundant there, and also at Port Bannatyne. 

 The same conditions prevailed in December, the best fishing being in 

 Loch Riddon and Loch Striven. Towards the end of the month the 

 fishing fell off and the boats left, the fishing not being continued into 

 January ; and it is noteworthy that no mention is made this year of any 

 herrings being taken in the more northern lochs of the district, as Lochs 

 Long and Goil. In the various weeks in November and December the 

 catches (in crans) were as follows : — 



November. December. 



5,200 2,330 



2,500 4,364 



2,600 5,500 



2,280 1,823 



2,614 



12,580 



16,631 



As was customary, the successful fishing attracted boats from all parts 

 of the Clyde, as many as 400 being sometimes engaged, and it is to be 

 noted that at this time the seine-net, or " trawl," was not employed, but 

 only the drift-net. 



In 1865 the fishing began at the end of June, and only ten crans were 

 taken up to 1st July. In July a few were got in Loch Riddon, but the 

 grounds frequented were mostly Arran, Kilbrennan Sound, the west side 

 of Bute, and Ardlamont. In August full information is not given, but 

 it is noted that the boats were successful at Arran and Bute. About the 

 middle of September the herrings set into the Kyles of Bute — a few 

 weeks earlier than in the previous year — and at the beginning of 

 October the boats were fishing as far up as Loch Riddon, but this fishing 

 fell off, and from about the 21st October to 9th November most of the 

 herrings were taken about Ardlamont and on the west side of Bute. At 

 the latter date the fishing began again in the Kyles and Loch Riddon 

 and so continued. By the end of the month herrings were taken in 

 abundance in Loch Striven and at Port Bannatyne Bay, and in the 

 beginning of December the fishing was more successful at these places 

 than in Loch Riddon or the Kyles ; the oldest fisherman at Port 

 Bannatyne, it was said, did not remember such a fishing there. But on 

 the 10th December the herrings left Loch Striven and Port Bannatyne 

 Bay and the fishing was carried on at Loch Riddon and in the Kyles with 

 great success, the enormous quantity of 6400 crans being taken in the 

 last week of the year. On this occasion the fishing was carried on till 

 the end of January in these places, but it fell off towards the end of the 

 month, and all the boats had left by the beginning of February. The 

 total for the year was the largest on record for the district, amounting to 

 38,436 crans. The weekly catches for the last five months of the year, 

 and for January 1866, and the totals for each month, were as follows:— 



