TRAWLING. 



57 



^aiid has been a long time in use by vessels belonging 

 to the Thames. It is now also generally adopted by 

 the Yarmouth smacks, having been introduced by the 

 Barking vessels, many of which find it convenient to 

 make that port their station. Another form (B) is 

 used on many parts of the coast by the small inshore 

 trawlers, and is but a very slight modification of that 

 employed by the Brixham men, the difference con- 

 sisting in the iron loop through which the ground-rope 

 passes before it is made fast being inside instead of 

 outside the frame. Among other varieties of trawl- 

 head may be mentioned those we have found used by 

 some of the French trawlers (C, D), and the noticeable 



French Trawl-heads. 



feature in them is that the beam is placed so near the 

 front of the head as to require the tow-rope to be fixed 

 very low to prevent the fore part of the shoe burying 

 itself in the ground. This is further guarded against 

 in one variety by the additional length of the frame 

 behind the beam. There appears to be a want of 

 balance in these French irons which is not the case 

 in those used by our own fishermen. No doubt there 

 is some degree of fancy in the shapes adopted ; but the 

 English irons strike one as better adapted for their 



