The Mackerel Fishery in the West of England

Extract

The mackerel fishery began off Plymouth in January, and boats from Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Newhaven, Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Plymouth, together with a considerable number of Mount's Bay boats (Porthleven, Newlyn, and Mousehole) were engaged in the above fishery. Fish were found about the 13th January fifteen to twenty-five miles south-west of the Start Point, of a very fine quality, and were caught in considerable quantities for some few nights, catches from two lasts (20,000) down to few hundreds per boat. Westerly and south-west winds prevailing (strong breezes), very stormy weather set in, and fishing operations were interrupted for three weeks, when the boats got to work again, meeting only with light catches for some weeks, February and March were not very successful months, easterly winds set in and continued throughout above months, and practically nothing was done till latter part of March and beginning of April, when boats fell in with fish south-west of Eddystone fifteen to twenty-five miles. There fish were not so fine in quality as those of January, and appeared to be quite distinct from the latter. Some good hauls were secured, one last (being about the largest catch) to few hundreds per boat. The fishing continued up to May, and boats did fairly well, a good average earnings was obtained, prices kept up, especially during Lent.