106 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



not allowed to remain very long in the water, but are 

 hauled in and shot again, and these processes are very 

 laborious. The fish also are all the better for reaching 

 the market early, so that everything is in favour of 

 doing the work smartly. The principal part of the 

 labour in these drift-boats is not of a kind requiring 

 much experience in the men either as fishermen or 

 sailors ; more than half the number of hands taken are 

 therefore composed of shore-going men at other times 

 than during the regular fishery season. Strong arms 

 are the principal things wanted for heaving in the nets, 

 and the " capstan-men " are made up from countrymen 

 and idlers, who soon get their sea-legs, and learn to do 

 such work as is required from them, whilst the manage- 

 ment of the vessel, the selection of the fishing ground, 

 and other professional duties are all done by or under 

 the direction of the master, mate, and two or three other 

 experienced fishermen. 



We now come to the operation of " shooting the 

 nets"; and we may here mention that the expression 

 "shooting" is in use on all parts of the coast for 

 throwing or paying out longlines and nets of every 

 description ; it does not seem to be applied to hand- 

 lines ; but the trawlers, the seaners, the drift fishermen, 

 and the longliners, all speak of "shooting their gear" 

 or " making a shot " when beginning to fish after their 

 respective methods. 



Shooting the nets as done from the Yarmouth luggers 

 — the operation is practically the same in all cases, dif- 

 fering only in some of its details — is thus managed : — 

 The time universally fixed upon for commencing work 

 is just about sunset, and when the fishermen have reason 

 to think they have arrived in the proper 2:)lace for her- 

 rings, or they observe the " appearance of fish " — of 



