54 



Part III. — Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



interrupted the fishing, but in the week ended 3rd March the 

 extraordinary quantity of 16,060 crans was landed ; the catch of one 

 pair of trawlers filled eight " skiffs " or fishing boats, and another boat 

 sank with the weight of herrings. The fishing on the banks was by 

 seines as well as trammels, but trammels alone were used towards the 

 end of the fishing. Tne catches gradually declined, and none were taken 

 after 24th March. The aggregate for the season was 23,145 crans, the 

 details being as follows : — 



December. 



January. 



February. 



March. 



Boats. 



Crans. 



Boats. 



Crans. 



Boats. 



Crans. 



Boats. 



Crans. 







98 



585 



262 



87 



320 



16,060 



2 



2 



182 



796 



132 



327 



130 



774 



21 



15 



330 



2,196 



10 



19 



48 



339 



70 



32 



246 



120 



408 



1,333 



57 



393 



93 



67 















116 





3,697 





1,766 





17,566 



The summer fishing on the coast was not important. The winter fishing 

 commenced on 6th December, the place of fishing being off the harbour 

 of Girvan, but little was got during the month. In January herrings 

 were found at Saltcoats and also apparently about Loch Eyan ; at the 

 middle of the month they were chiefly landed at Stranraer, but good 

 takes were also got between Ayr and Maidens. The greatest quantity 

 was taken in February, and it is mentioned that in March one seine boat 

 secured 408 crans in four hauls of the net one week, which sold for 

 X599. The fishing closed later than usual, on 2nd April, and the fishing- 

 ground at the end of March was Ardmillan Bank, three miles south of 

 Girvan. The total catch amounted to 14,707 crans, apportioned as 

 follows : — 



December. January. February. March. April. 

 143 2,813 8,465 3,280 6 



Perhaps to the total should be added 238 crans taken on Ballantrae 

 Bank by trammel nets in the week ended 15th April. The summer 

 fishing was more successful than usual on the Ayrshire coast, and herrings 

 were got north of Girvan in August, but after that most of the fish 

 landed came from other quarters, as Kilbrennan Sound. In December 

 some herrings were caught off the mouth of Loch Ryan as well as within 

 it, and others at the Cumbraes, the latter greatly predominating in the 

 last week of the year. And in January, 1885, moat of the herrings at 

 first taken were got in the same quarter ; later they were secured between 

 Girvan and Turnberry Point, to the northwards, but the quantity in 

 January was inconsiderable. In the middle of February most of the 

 catch was taken on the north bank off Ballantrae by seines, and in 

 March on the bank by the same method of fishing, the catch in the week 

 ended 14th March amounting to 12,033 crans. After this the fishing 



