44 



Part TIL — Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



landed were caught apparently off the Ayrshire coast, and it is noted on 

 10th July that the " appearance " of herrings on the coast was good. On 

 the 4th September it is noted that 20 crans were taken on the grounds 

 opposite Greenock, and the fishing continued here during the month, 

 without, however, very great success. At the beginning of October it is 

 stated that the principal fishing grounds were the banks between 

 Greenock and Helensburgh, but that although numerous boats (161^ were 

 employed both night and day, the results were not yet encouraging. On 

 the 18th October 70 crans were caught, and in the week ended 23rd 400 

 boats were prosecuting the fishing, and 3000 crans were taken. The 

 herrings, the Officer noted, were scattered along the Tail of the Bank, and 

 were got from the entrance to the Gareloch up to opposite Port-Glasgow. 

 In the next week 6000 crans were taken by 478 boats, after which the 

 weather became somewhat stormy and interfered with the fishing. 

 Early in November the herrings began to get scarce, the weekly catch 

 falling to 120 and then to 14 crans, and the fishermen were of opinion 

 that the herrings had been driven from the Tail of the Bank by the great 

 quantity of fresh water coming down the Clyde, and that when the water 

 became clearer the herrings might return. At the end of November the 

 fishing did, indeed, improve slightly, 844 crans being taken in the week 

 ended 27th, but they were caught farther down the Clyde, opposite 

 Gourock and Kilcreggan, though a few were still got opposite Greenock. 

 In December a small quantity were taken, chiefly in the channel and 

 down by Wemyss Bay and Gourock. In the week ended 8th January 

 the fishing was at Largs and Fairlie, and between those places and the 

 Cumbraes, and it appeared that the herrings were going farther and 

 farther to sea ; none were secured after that week. The total catch for 

 the year was 16,670 crans, of which 470 were taken in January. The 

 particulars for the months and the chief weeks are as follows : — 



June. 



July. 



August. 



September. 



October. 



November. 



December. 



January. 









142 



12 



3,200 



302 











40 



43 



120 





300 









36 



2,996 



14 













53 



6,000 



884 



200 











205 





150 





101 



706 



1,036 



476 



9,051 



4,178 



652 



300 



In 1870 the fishing on the Ayrshire coast, of the usual kind, continued 

 till the end of August, when it began to fall off. In the first week of 

 September two boats tried the grounds opposite Greenock, and got a few 

 hundreds of very small herrings. In the next week about 40 boats got 

 70 crans, also very small fish, running about 1400-1600 to a cran, and so 

 on throughout the month. In October the fishing in the district was 

 almost entirely confined to Greenock ; towards the end of the month it 

 fell off, and very few were got at the Tail of the Bank afterwards, either 

 in November or December : those taken in the latter month were caught 

 farther down by Inverkip and Wemyss Bay and over towards the Cloch 

 Lighthouse. The last entry is for the week ended 24th December, but 

 40 crans were landed in January, place not specified. In this year the 

 total was only 4350 crans, of which 300 crans were obtained in January. 

 The particulars for the months, and for the weeks during which the 

 fishing was in the estuary of the Clyde, are as follows : — 



