iqf the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
203 
h Cod and Lino Fishery. 
; The staple industry of these islands has, for generations been cod and 
ting fishing and curing. Early in the century, when Government 
•bounty was paid upon dry fish officially stamped, this trade was of 
.sufficient magnitude to require the services of four or five fishery officers, 
who were stationed at various places among the islands. 
Hand Line Fishing. 
A very extensive handlino fishing is carried on by the Shetlanders, 
both on the inshore grounds and the deep sea banks. 
Cod fishing and curing aboard smacks at Faroe, Rockall, and Iceland, 
.used to be a far larger trade than it is now. In its palmy days — from 
18G0 to 1880 — from 60 to 70 Shetland vessels were annually fitted out, 
and from 20 to 40 English smacks disposed of their fish to Shetland 
merchants. Since then the numbers have been gradually decreasing. 
In 1891 only 11 English and 21 local crafts were employed in this 
■branch of the fishing. 
About the end of February some of the largest of these smacks are 
fitted out for Faroe and Rockall. At that early season the weather is 
usually rough, and the fishing very uncertain ; with a few good days a 
full ship is sometimes obtained, while in rough weather they may have 
to lie to for weeks doing nothing. About the month of August, unless 
prospects are very good at Faroe or Rockall, these large smacks proceed 
to Iceland, where a full cargo is generally obtained if the weather prove 
favourable. In 1887 two vessels owned by one firm landed between them 
92,000 fish, representing a value of about £5,500. One had made four 
and the other five trips to Rockall. Most of these large smacks have 
wells, in which, on their last trip for the season, they carry live cod to 
Grimsby. 
, The smaller smacks, from 15 to 35 tons, are not usually fitted out till 
May, and confine their operations to the Foula Bank. In all these vessels 
hand lines with two hooks are worked, and the bait used is mussels, which 
are salted for the longer voyages. 
. Hand line fishing jn small boats is carried on all round the coasts of 
{Shetland, when weather permits., Cod are the fish most sought after, 
but considerable quantities of haddocks, tusk, ling, and saithe are also 
caught. About the southern extremity of the islands the saithe fishing is 
vigorously prosecuted in these small hand line skiffs, and large quantities 
are annually cured in that part of the district. The inhabitants of Fair 
Isle confine themselves almost exclusively to this branch of the fishing. 
Saithe are abundant at other places in the district, but as they are of 
comparatively little value, they are rather neglected by fishermen. The 
lines and bait used in these small boats are the same as in the Faroe 
smacks. 
Long Line Fishing. 
This fishing may by said to commence annually in the month of 
February, among the islands in the neighbourhood of Scalloway. 
Regularly every year, great numbers of cod gather among these islands 
(luring the spawning season. The fishermen then work their long lines in 
small 1 four-oar ' boats, and the fish are often so plentiful that boats are 
loaded off half the fleet of lines, and two trips have to be made before 
lines and fish can be all landed. Not far off these islands there is said 
to be a shallow ridge with about 12 fathoms water, inside of which the 
