THERE'S MACKEREL IN THE BAY

There's mackerel in the bay, me lads
There's mackerel in the bay;
Get out your boats and hoist your sails,
And let us haste away.
There's bread upon the waters, lads,
There's food for wean and wife,
There's mackerel in the bay, me lads,
And one more grip of life.

The herring's gone for good, me lads;
We plowed the seas lang syne
When ever upon the moonlit nights
We saw the silvery shine.
We rushed towards the cables, lads,
When herrin' came our way;
Now they're gone for good, me lads;
But mackerel's in the bay.

We trimmed the salmon nets, me lads
And darned, and wove, and spun,
Whenever, in the summer moons,
There seemed a goodly run;
But salmon don't come near us now,
Until the season's past.
There's mackerel in the bay, me lads;
Let's go and make a cast.

The whitefish were our joy, me lads,
Whene'er the winter came;
We hauled them in hand-ower-hand,
And then made off for hyem.
But now they've got the trawler, lads,
And cables are laid by;
But mackerel's in the bay, me lads;
Let's have another try.

The fisher's life is hard, me lads,
Between the wind and sea;
But what we've chose the fisher's life,
Jack, Tom, ye, and me.
The fish that were our living, lads,
Are driven far away;
But mackerel's in the bay, me lads
There's mackerel in the bay.

There's bread upon the waters, lads,
Food for wean and wife,
There's mackerel in the bay, me lads,
And one more grip of life.

[Graham, Benny, Handel, Johnny, The Folks of Shields: Around South Tyneside, Mawson & Wareham, 2002, MWM CDSP 46, trk.10]

Also on Tall Ships, Rivers and Seas, don't know if it's the same recording. I think the above transcription from the older CD is pretty close.

There are copies on YouTube but I don't know from which album or where each might be viewable (Orchard Enterprises... again.)