174 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



edges where it is fastened to the ropes. It is easy to 

 understand that round-fish hke hake might be readily 

 caught in such nets ; and they are taken in large num- 

 bers by this method in the south of Ireland; but it 

 would appear more difficult to capture flat-fish in the 

 same manner. These nets, however, are successfully 

 used for that purpose, especially on the coast of York- 

 shire and Northumberland, for taking turbot; and 

 under the name of " bratt-nets"^ were formerly subject 

 to special regulations as to the size of mesh and the 

 length of time they were to remain in the water. Skate 

 and other kinds of fish are also taken by these nets, 

 and they are even used by some of the fishermen in the 

 Firth of Forth for catching crabs or " par tons," as they 

 are there called. On the same and some other parts of 

 the coast when the herrings are spawning, and conse- 

 quently keeping very much at the bottom, it is the 

 custom to " ground " the nets ordinarily used for drift- 

 ing, and by anchoring them to convert them for a time 

 into set-nets. In this manner large numbers of herrings 

 are sometimes taken when none can be caught near the 

 surface ; and this mode of fishing for them is usually 

 carried on during the day. Herring-nets are also 

 occasionally set between stakes driven into the ground ; 

 but in such cases the nets are so placed as to intercejDt 

 the fish when they are swimming near the surface. 

 This plan, however, is seldom adopted except in locali- 

 ties where the poverty of the fishermen or the scarcity 

 of fish prevents the ordinary methods of fishing being 

 carried on. 



The net to which the name of " trammel " is properly 

 applied is not much used, except in particular localities, 



^ "Bratt" is the name commonly given by the fisliermen alon2: tlie north- 

 east coast to the true turbot, and " turbot" is there aiiplied to the liolil)Ut. 



