MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE SMELT IN NORFOLK WATERS. 343 
entirely confined to the New Mills Pool and drowse Hythe ; the 
season is from March 10th to May 12th, both days inclusive ; only 
a cast-net is allowed to he used, and the size of the net is restricted 
to sixteen feet in diameter, d'ho same rule applies to the river 
Wavenoy above tlic Ifurgh Cement A\ orks before mentioned, 
d'ho largest catclies are generally taken in the New Mills Pool, 
where the fish congregate, not being able to proceed further up the 
river. Mr. Lubbock says, that formerly, twenty-five or even thirty 
score have been taken by one net in a single night j but 1 have 
heard of no such catches of late ; five or six score being considered 
a good night’s work. As the fish swim in “schools,” a single 
well-directed throw may bo very remunerative. 
The price varies exceedingly according to season and supply* 
but they avenige about 2s. 3d. per score. Many years ago I have 
bought these fish at Lynn for the odd 3d. per score ; and at times, 
when a catch has been brought in, the air in the neighbourhood of 
the fishmongers’ shops has been permeateil with the i)eculiar odour 
which emanates from the freshly caught fish ; but 1 cannot say it 
has ever been my experience to meet with such numbers “ that 
it was easy to detect the peculiar cucumber smell which 
ilistinguishes them, by walking along the river side,” as stated on 
the authority of a correspondent of Hardwick’s ‘Science Gossip’ 
in Day’s ‘Fishes.’ That this smell has a protective virtue for the 
Smelt there is little doubt, as other fish refuse them as bait, and 
are said to forsake the waters where the Smelts are spawning. 
It is perhaps for that reason that few other fish are taken by the 
Smelters, although Roach, Perch, Ruff, Dace, Gudgeon, or even 
Trout, occasionally come up in the net. 
Fabulous stories are told as to the size of some of the Smelts 
which have been taken, they certainly do vary very much, the 
largest 1 have seen was taken at the New Mills, and measures 
eleven inches in length. The late Mr. Norman saw one at 
Yarmouth measuring eleven and a half inches in length, and 
weighing seven ounces. Dr. Lowe has seen Smelts of exactly the 
same size and weight from the Ouse, these were full of roe ; but 
another, which he saw, measured twelve inches in length, and 
weighed only a (juarter of a pouncL The usual length is from 
six to nine inches measured to the fork of the caudal fin. 
