TRAWLING. 59 



mate work, but now, " rounded " or covered with small 

 rope to protect it from chafing and to make it heavier, 

 answers the useful purpose of keeping the edge of the 

 net on the ground so as to sweep the surface and dis- 

 turb the fish, which passing over it then find their way 

 into the narrow closed extremity of the trawl. The Yar- 

 mouth trawlers use a beam of about 36 feet in length, 

 and a much shorter ground-rope in proportion than is 

 employed by the Brixham and Grimsby fishermen ; 

 there being an idea on their part that when working in 

 strong tides on the Doggerbank the large-mouthed nets 

 are liable to close up — a difficulty, however, which does 

 not appear to have been discovered by the fishermen 

 from other ports. The ends of the ground-rojoe are 

 made fast on each side by a few turns round the back 

 of the trawl-head, just above the shoe, and the rope 

 rests on the ground throughout the entire curve ; the 

 fish therefore have no chance of escape at either the 

 sides or bosom of the net, and their only outlet when 

 once the beam has passed over them is in front, so that 

 they must dart forward in the direction in which the 

 net is moving to enable them to get clear of it. The 

 object of making the ground-rope of old material is that 

 it may break in case of getting foul of rocks or any 

 chance obstruction which may be met with on the 

 generally smooth ground where a trawl can only be 

 worked with advantage. If in such a contingency the 

 ground-rope were strong and good, the least mischief 

 likely to ensue would be the anchoring of the vessel by 

 her trawl, involving great loss of time in clearing it, 

 and resulting, probably, in breaking the beam and other 

 damage ; but as these nets are used in deep water where 

 there is always more or less sea or swell, the great 

 danger to be feared when the net gets foul is the 



