This blog seldom strays so far from Exeter, but Mr. J Hammick's extraordinary take of herrings at daybreak, Tuesday 10th September 1840 somewhat above Maidencombe, about a quarter of a mile off the shore, as reported by a correspondent to The Western Times of 19th September, 1840 seems to me the fisherman's tale to beat all fishermen's tales, not excluding that of Saint Luke:
"....after drawing the sean near the shore, the body of herrings now enclosed proved so dense that all further exertions were abortive; in consequence of which the sean was immediatley laced up beyond the coarse yarn, it being a mackerel sean, and from this time until Sunday the fish were continually with a tuck net drawn out of the sean, which was now moored with four anchors to keep the sean from strapping or falling together.
The weather being particularly fine, parties were formed from all the neighbouring watering places to visit the scene of slaughter and as many as 20 boats were present at a time, filled with all the fashion of the neighbourhood, standing astonished at the immense body of fish before them, whilst the sides of the sean presented a mass of fish resembling a wall 20 to 25 feet deep.
There was at least 100 boats load of fish taken, besides a quantity of fish that were taken in sloops to Portsmouth, Weymouth and Guernsey, and on Sunday boats from all parts of the coast were obliged to return unladen, thus six days were spent in emptying and taking up the sean, besides the spoiling of from 10 to 20 boat loads of fish.
The whole of the fish was sold, and made about £500, at the low price of 3s. per thousand, thus well paying the men and proprietors for their exertions, and rendering a great public benefit to the country at large. The above sean belonged to Messrs Joan and Thomas Hammick, William Rossiter, &Knightons, of Torquay as proprietors."
There seems to me to be a worthy touch of national sentiment implied by this correspondent's spelling of seine.
Alas! The great shoals of herring come no more to Maidencombe.
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