banking vbl n OED ~ vbl sb 4 (1842, 1848), DC n¹ (1824-) for sense 1.
   1 Fishing for cod on the Newfoundland offshore 'grounds' or shoals, esp the Grand Banks and other stretches of water off the south coast.
   [1794] 1968 THOMAS 168 The [function] of the Admiral is very great if he goes to Sea a Banking, he having Command of all the Vessels which are employ'd on the Grand Bank a Fishing. 1937 Seafisheries of Nfld 34 The Deep Sea Fishery is a distinct contrast to the Shore Fishery. The fishing is usually done many miles from the Coast and a return to the land is made when the catch of fish is sufficient, or other circumstances make it necessary. This fishery is known as 'Banking.' 1971 NOSEWORTHY 11-12 There were a few spasmodic attempts at 'Banking' from Grand Bank in the 1860s and '70s but the business got its real start in 1881.
   2 Attrib, comb banking account: financial balance sheet of a deep-sea fishing enterprise.
   1939 LODGE 51 It is not astonishing that when the Commission of Government had had an opportunity of investigating for themselves actual 'banking' accounts they shied at this incursion into State socialism.
   banking anchor: type of ship's anchor used aboard a deep-sea fishing vessel.
   Q 67-53 ~ It has a wooden stock fitted into a diamond-shaped hole so the anchor is sometimes called a diamond-eyed anchor. If the anchor gets caught the stock will break and the boat will be free.
   banking cable: heavy 2 in. (5.1 cm) rope used aboard vessels engaged in the offshore trawl fishery; BANK CABLE.
   1936 SMITH 36 We loaded freight about half for Brigus and the balance for Harbour Grace, comprised chiefly of rope, butter and banking cables, of which we had six on deck.
   banking dory: small flat-bottomed boat with flaring sides and a sharp bow and stern, providing both stability in the water and easy stowage in stacks on the deck of a deep-sea fishing vessel, used esp in fishing with hand-lines and trawls; DORY.
   1971 NOSEWORTRY 170 ~ A type of dory used on the Grand Banks, from 15 to 18 feet in the bottom. 1975 RUSSELL 1 Must have been almost thirty years ago. I was just a young gaffer then—spending my third or fourth summer in the bow of the banking dory.
   banking fleet: a number of banking vessels (see below).
   1975 BUTLER 56 Dories were not used until the bankin' fleet ... came about 1875 or so.
   banking line: see banking cable; BANK LINE.
   C 70-26 A young lad somehow got his neck tangled in a length of banking line.
   banking outfit: fishing gear and supplies appropriate to a vessel engaged in the offshore cod-fishery; cp FIT-OUT.
   1936 SMITH 36 Capt Harry Bartlett ... was going on the Banks fishing in their schooner ... which was then lying at Cupids and bound for St John's to take in his banking outfit.
   banking schooner: see banking vessel.
   [1892] 1896 Consolidated Statutes of Nfld 256 The owner of each banking schooner or vessel prosecuting the bank fishery... 1971 NOSEWORTHY 12 The average Banking schooner was eighty to one hundred twenty feet in length and carried ten dories and twenty-four men. [The catch] was split and salted on board the vessel, and was washed in the harbour upon arrival in Grand Bank.
   banking vessel: deep-sea fishing craft, decked and rigged fore-and-aft or powered by engine, prosecuting the cod-fishery on the offshore 'grounds' with hand-lines and trawls operated from small open boats or 'dories.'
   [1788] 1895 PROWSE 347 Under colour of the said Banking vessels taking their fish from hence when cured to be reshipped on board larger size vessels... [1891] 1897 Nfld Law Reports 580 The impression said to be prevalent that masters of banking vessels in this trade possess unlimited authority to pledge the credit of their ship-owners or out-fitters for general supplies... 1975 BUTLER 50 I will explain ... the types of fishing boats used for fishing through the years including banking vessels, coastal vessels and foreign-going vessels.
   banking voyage: the enterprise or period of fishing for cod on the offshore 'grounds' or 'banks'; cp BAITING,VOYAGE.
   [1880] 1898 Nfld Law Reports 201 [The] plaintiff says he is short credited by reason of only being allowed the one-twenty-eighth part of the produce of a banking voyage in place of one-twenty-sixth.

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