British Industries Sea Fisheries. By E. W. IL Holdsworth, Salmon
Fisheries. By Archibald Young, (Stanford.)—Mr. Holds worth describes the various kinds of movable nets which are employed in sea-fiehing, and the manner of using them, long-linos and hand-lines, stow-nets and bay-nets. He also gives an account of the principal fishing stations in the British islands, His most important chapter is devoted to trassling. There is much that is reassuring in what he says on this subject. Especially in the matter of the destruction of spawn, so commonly attri- buted to the use of the trawl-net, he gives some valuable information. Sea-flab, even those that dwell habitually on the bottom, spawn at the top of the water. The trawl, therefore, cannot affect reproduction ; yet an engine so complete and effective must be destruotive. It takes up everything that it comes near, and fishermen never will put anything hack because it is undersized. If any one wants to know how com- pletely the trawl can clear a limited space, let him ask about Whitby. The hay used to be full of fish ; now, or at all events last year, after the visit of the trawlers, it was empty. Mr. Holdeworth has something to tell us about bait, the furnishing of which is a considerable industry. The sand-eels, for instance, which form one of the most
attractive baits for codfish, aro transported alive across England from the Cheshire sandbanks to Great Grimeby. Mr. Archibald Young has plenty to tell us about salmon fisheriee, dealing with the subject on both its industrial and its sporting side with ample Information. We see that he does not believe in " artificial spates," and says that they failed when tried in the Giithersta flahinga, in the island of Lowe. That may be, but they certainly have eueceeded in other rivers in the same island, the Blackwater and the Laxay. If Mr. Young will consult " Sixty-One's " Reminiscences of the Lews (and it would not be easy to find a man who knows more of salmon-fishing than "Sixty-One "), he will find a full account of the experiment and of its success. The pre- sent writer has certainly caught salmon which, but for the artificial spate, might have died—for they do die after over-long delay—in the salt water.
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