of the Fishery Hoard for Scotland. 



65 



In 1875 the fishing in June was probably far down the Sound, in the 

 neighbourhood of Campbeltown, since 255 crans were landed there as 

 against 182 crans at Carradale, whereas in the previous year 682 were 

 landed at Carradale as against 470 at Campbeltown. In July the best 

 ground was in the vicinity of Skipness Point ; in August and September 

 the Sound of Kilbrennan is given; towards the end of September the 

 weather became boisterous, and the fishing closed in the week ended 9th 

 October. 



In 1876, the grounds are not mentioned in the records for June, but 

 more herrings were landed at Carradale than at Campbeltown ; in July the 

 fishing was apparently chiefly in Kilbrennan Sound ; in August mostly 

 the Arran side of the Sound was productive ; in September fishing went 

 on from Carradale to Skipness, and at Loch Ranza, in the north of Arran, 

 and it closed on 7th October, when the aggregate was 7275 crans. 



In 1 877, the fishing grounds in June are not stated, and almost as 

 large a quantity was landed at Campbeltown as at Carradale. In July 

 the fishing was in Kilbrennan Sound, particularly about Carradale ; in 

 August and September it was all over the Sound, and the season ended 

 on October 6th. The total was 12,081 crans, more than half of which 

 was taken in August. 



The fishing in June, 1878, was chiefly about Carradale and Machrie 

 Bay, and also with drift-nets at the south end of Arran ; in July and 

 August it was in Kilbrennan Sound, from Campbeltown as far as 

 Skipness, but early in September the fishing fell off, and it ended for the 

 season in the week ended 14th September, with an aggregate of 9085 

 crans. In those four years the aggregate quantity landed in each of the 

 months was as follows : — 



June. July. August. September. October. 

 4,523 10,284 12,987 2,848 64 



The year 1879 was high above the average, the total quantity of 

 herrings landed being 33,980 crans. The first entry in the records is 

 dated 31st May, and it states that " the total catch from 1st January to 

 25th May is 3200 crans, and during last week 276 crans, making a total 

 for the season of 3476 crans. Only in April and May were any herrings 

 got." The Officer also states that the spring herring fishery had been 

 the best on record. He says he found nothing recorded for the spring 

 fishery before 1871, and he gives the following as the number of barrels 

 or crans taken in the spring fishery of the succeeding years : — 



1871 . . 20 crans. 1876 . . 1,667 crans. 



1872 .. — 1877 .. 536 „ 



1873 .. — 1878 .. 952 „ 



1874 . . 484 „ 1879 . . 3,476 „ 



1875 .. 430 „ 



These quantities fall to be added to the totals above given for the 

 years in question, from the weekly records of which they are absent. 



It is not stated where the fishing grounds were in April and May, 

 when the herrings referred to were caught, but in the last week of May 

 they extended between Carradale and Skipness, an unusual circumstance 

 at that period of the year, and none were got at Campbeltown. 

 Probably, therefore, the herrings this year made their appearance at an 

 earlier date. In June the fishing was all over the Sound of Kilbrennan, 

 principally near Carradale and Skipness, also in Machrie Bay, and some 



