DRIFT-NET FISHING. Ill 



port or, if fish are scarce, shifts to a fresh berth for the 

 next night's work. 



If for any reason the nets are not used for two or 

 three days, they are taken up and wetted to prevent 

 their heating, which would soon rot and destroy them. 



Drift-nets for mackerel are worked on precisely the 

 same principle ; but as these fish generally keep near 

 the top of the water, the nets are well corked so as to 

 make them float quite at the surface ; and there is 

 no occasion for such a depth of netting as is used 

 for herrings. A fleet of mackerel nets as used by the 

 Yarmouth boats is, however, of very great length, and 

 is made up of eleven or twelve score of nets, extending 

 to as much as 2| miles, or double that of a herring fleet. 

 The meshes are about twenty-two or twenty-tliree to the 

 yard, and the nets have hitherto been generally made 

 of twine ; but if there were a prospect of improvement in 

 the Yarmouth mackerel fishery the new nets would pro- 

 bably be made of cotton. The mackerel " voyages," 

 however, have been so unprofitable during the last few 

 years that there is little inducement to invest very 

 largely in new gear for that fishery. 



Pilchard drift-nets, as used on the coast of Cornwall, 

 are about the size of those for herrings, but with a 

 smaller mesh, one not exceeding thirty-six to the yard. 

 Shrunk herring-nets are frequently employed for catch- 

 ing pilchards when the meshes have become too small 

 for their original purpose. 



The number of nets carried by drift-boats of the 

 various classes in use on different parts of the coast 

 depends of course mainly on the size of the boat, but the 

 weather to some extent affects the question of how many 

 of those carried should be used on any particular occa- 

 sion. If a fleet of nets were shot in the usual manner. 



