THE FISHING SMACK REDCLIFF.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 174, 20 February 1868, Page 2

THE FISHING SMACK REDCLIFF.

(fkom the otago daily times). In our shipping intelligence reference was recently made to the arrival from Melbourne of the fishing smack Bedcliff ; and to the fact of her having proceeded to sea with the object of trawlingin the neighbourhood of Otago Heads, and of bringing to the Dunedin market, " all a live," the fish which might be caught. Fishing by trawlnets is, of itself a new enterprise on the coast of Otago, and fishing with a welled smack is an equal novelty. The undertaking was, therefore doubly interesting, and its interest is multiplied by the fact that the first experiment has proved to be most successful. The Eedcliff returned to Port Chalmers from her voyage of exploration on Saturday morning with her well full of groper, ling, trumpeter, flounders, crayfish, skate, and the real " English sole." Of the different descriptions of fish caught the sole-fish were the most

"numerous, and their capture in sue 1 ) numbers is, perhaps, the most interesting result of this endeavor to 'establish a new local industry. The presence of such a fish, in quaniity, in the vicinity of Otago Heads, and the possibility of their being brought to market alive, are circumstances in connection with the food supplies of the country, which are certainly not secondary in importance to the introduction of the salmon or the trout. It is, indeed, questionable if the results of this experimental effort to develop existing resources of the sea along the coat of the province are not more important than any effort; that may be made in the direction of acclimatising the fish of other seas ; and a renewal of the experiment in other and more suitable localities is most deserving of encouragement aud attention.

To Captain John M'Lean, of the steamer Alhambra, is due the credit of initating this new enterprise The ltedcliffwas originally a cutter, built in Port Phillip for ordinary coast trading ; but she was lately converted into a fishing smack, and fitted with a trawl and a well. In this condition she was brought to Otago, and was placed in the charge of Captain Liddol, late Superintendent of Buoysand Beacons in Otago Harbor. Captain Liddel's name is not unknown in connection with experiments in fishing in the colonies, he being the first discoverer, in 1857, of a cod bank on the Tasmanian coast, which cod-bank, if it never has been turned to profitable account, supplied at least one good fish dinner to snch of the citizens of Melbourne as were connoiseurs in cod, or interested in the development of native resources. Capt. Liddel started on his experimental trip on Friday week, having with him three practised fishermen. They first experimented with the trawl inside the harbor, between Port Chalmers and the Heads, and were successful in capturing a considerable number of such fish as trumpeter, flounders, cray-fish, skate, and less, desirable occupants of the nets—sharks. At the Heads he was detained two days repairing nets, and, out of the whole week, was only engaged for two days in the proper work of fishing. When he proceeded to sea he trawled first in fifteen fathoms water, and obtained soles, skate, shark, rock cod, and flounders, these being all obtained on ground of a similar character. On the next attempt, on different ground, the trawl brought up soles only, and far three successive hauls of the trawl nothing was obtained but soles, sharks, and skate, with a quantity of shell fish —mussels, cockles, and clams adhering to the net. The soles were of course, got on a bottom of mud and sand, apparently thickly covered with weeds among which was a quantity of real shrimp. The sharks were of different sorts ; the largest about six feet in length. G-roper and ling were readily caught with the line, and, as soon as caught, were placed in one section of the well, where they were to be seen at Port Chalmers on Saturday, alive and lively. For _ the soles, a Separate division of the division of the Well was appropriated, association with such big and hungry fellows as the groper being rather inimical to the younger fry : and they were sufficiently numerous in the well on Saturday to permit of half-dozens of them being brought to the surface on every dip of the hand-net. As to their being the real sole-fish there can be no doubt, and they are very fine fish, both with regard to size and texture —each of them forming a considerable part of a meal for a small family. Trumpeter and a fish of a similar description, the " moki," were also got in the trawl, and in large quantity. Unfortunately for the successful continuance of the experiment, the trawl net through decay, proved unequal to the weight of fish, and quantities were lost. The same circumstance made it necessary for Captain Liddel to return to refit before the well was thoroughly filled with fish, but sufficient numbers were obtained to prove that there is, in the immediate neighborhood of the harbor, fishing ground capable of supplying much more than any local demand that is likely to arise for some time, and this single experiment is only a small indication of what may he realised by the use of the trawl over such fishing ground as that which is known to exist off Moreaki, in Molyneux Bay, and in other localities nearer hand. The Eedcliff is a ketch of 22 tons, and her well is computed to contain 15 tons of water. Her trawl beam is 30ft. in length, and the net is 60ft deep, but, on account of its inferior condition, its dimentions had to be considerably reduced.

The fact of the Redcliff being a welled smack, is of course, the circumstance of most cousideration. That fish are abundant along tne coast of Otago has heon sufllently well known, but the delays which occur in their

conveyance to market when they are caught have been a source of discouragement to the fisherman and to the fisheater who has preference for fish in a state of freshness. In the well, the fish can be preserved in a perfectly healthy state, an abundance of' feed finding its way into the vessel through the apertures in the bottom; and, should the enterprise give promise of proving profitable, " coffs" will be provided at Port Chalmers or Dunedin, to which the fish can be transferred at the end of each voyage, and there preserved alive until they are required for the market. The tide in Dunedin harbor is fortunately favorable for the condition of the fish being well maintained, and, with these facilities, and with tacilities for conveyance up-country, there is no reason why, in the rural districts as well as in town, fish should not soon become a more common and a cheaper article of consumption than it is at present. In the meantime the housewives of Dunedin will find it profitable employment to consult their cookery books on the subject of soles.