54 MR. C. STACY-WATSON ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
As you are aware, the Drift Herring Fishery is divided, roughly, 
into four seasons, viz., the Spring, Midsummer, North Sea, and 
Home fishings. We will, therefore, take them in their order. 
The Spring fishing begins the first week in March, the boats 
proceeding to the fishing-grounds, about fifty miles E.N.E. of the 
South Crossing sands ; and ends about the middle of May, opposite 
Lowestoft. The fish are of poor quality, lean and thin ; they are 
caught, presumably, for bait, but, if the markets warrant it, the 
best samples are made into kippers and bloaters. The number of 
boats engaged in this fishing this year were four from Yarmouth and 
fifteen from Lowestoft, and the total number of Herrings landed at 
both places was 740.8.8. The voyage was not considered successful, 
and the catchers seem less inclined every year to risk life and 
capital in this enterprise. The large importations of Scandinavian- 
caught fish, together with the earlier, than formerly, fishings in the 
Moray Firth, may have influenced them to discontinue this fishing, 
preferring rather to fit out their boats and send them to the West 
of England to the great Mackerel fishing. The four Yarmouth 
boats landed 72.5.6, an average of 18.1.4 per boat; whilst the 
fifteen Lowestoft men landed 668.5.2, an average of 51.4.0. You 
will observe there is a remarkable difference between the average 
of the Lowestoft and Yarmouth boats ; the former have an excess 
of 33.2.6 per boat. 
Midsummer. — This fishing commences the first week in June, 
somewhat in the same vicinity as the previous one ; the school of 
Herrings making its way south, and, in its progress, nearing the 
coast until reaching off Southwold the second week in July, when 
it vanishes from the ken of the fishermen, and is not met with 
again until the following year. 
This season 62 Scotch boats left their northern homes, eager for the 
fray, 20 of them making Yarmouth their headquarters, the remaining 
42 sailing from Lowestoft. There were also 50 Yarmouth and 168 
Lowestoft boats in the campaign ; a total of 280 boats, manned by 
2,834 men and boys. The total number of Herrings caught was 
2,777.8.8, divided as follows: Yarmouth, 1,083.5.8; Lowestoft, 
1,694.3.0. The quality of the fish was, for the main part, excellent, 
and the fishermen were rewarded with remunerative prices ; a few 
of the English boats reaching a return of from £300 to .£400, the 
Scotch ranging from £50 to £150. The good quality of the fish 
