C MODES OF FISHING. 



breeding banks or bays might be selected by local authorities and closed 

 during specified seasons from trawlers. Also it is very questionable if 

 trawling within the three-miles limit might not be prohibited with advantage. 



The stow-net is' employed in various plaees, as the mouth of the Thames, 

 and is useful in taking sprats and whitebait (see vol. ii, p. 232). Moored in 

 a suitable locality at the commencement of a tide, the shoals are carried in 

 by the current, but as the tide slackens the net is lifted. 



The lave-net as used in the Severn and contiguous pieces of tidal water 

 is very destructive to salmon. A line of boats is anchored across a'certain 

 spot, and a large lave-net resembling an enormous landing-net with a 

 triangular mouth and a long handle is let over the side of each boat with 

 its entrance towards the incoming tide. The bag of the net is of sufficient 

 length to be brought under the boat and is loosely held in this position 

 by the fisherman on the up river-side. On a salmon striking this lave-net 

 in his course, the bag end is at once let go, and the lave-net side facing the 

 incoming tide is elevated, the gunnel of the boat acting as a rest for the 

 handle to be worked like a lever. 



Seine or sean nets,* also known as " sweep- or draught-nets/' or in 

 Scotland as " circle-nets " or " trawls/' are of varying length and meshes, 

 but their essential use is to enclose a space by either their two ends being 

 dragged on shore, or brought close together if fishing at sea. These nets 

 are formed of two "wings" or "sleeves," one On either side, while the 

 centre portion, known as the " bunt " or bag, is much the deepest part, and 

 consequently forms a bag into which the fish are received. The upper edge 

 or back of the net is kept in a perpendicular position by cork floats, while 

 the foot rope is weighted with leads. 



The ground seine, "foot-seine," or " scringe-net " is employed where 

 the sea-bottom is smooth, and an eligible place exists where it can be 

 dragged on shore. Generally similar to the common seine, it has a pole 

 fixed perpendicularly at the outer end of each wing, and to this a long drag- 

 rope is attached by a short bridle. One rope being left on the beach, the 

 net is taken in a boat and passed out round the space it is intended to 

 encircle, and the second drag-rope being landed, the net is evenly hauled on 

 shore by the fishermen. 



Common sein.es or stop -seines are such as are lifted at once with the 

 enclosed fishes into the boat, and should an inner or smaller boat not be 

 employed for the purpose of removing the enclosed fish, it is termed a tuck- 

 seine (vol. ii, page 227) ; while a modification of the seine is employed in the 

 United States, and has been so off Cornwall, in which the. materials used are 



* For modes of sea-fishing see " The Sea Fisherman," by J. Wilcocks. and " Deep Sea 

 Fishing," by E..IIoldsworth. 



