CH. V] THE SEA-FISHERIES 111 



the shore carrying one end of the net. Both ends of the latter 

 are then on shore and the net is slowly dragged inwards until it 

 touches the sea bottom and the fish are taken out from it by a 

 smaller net. Sprats are taken in seine nets, or at times in special 

 nets of large size. The great herring fishery is one which always 

 goes on, for though the shoals visit the fishing grounds at different 

 times of the year the fishing fleets follow them. The whole 

 industry is one of considerable dimensions, for with the fleets of 

 fishing boats go the curers, gutters and coopers, since a large 

 proportion of the fish caught are at once cured, packed and 

 exported. The herring fishery thus gives employment to a 

 very large number of people, and at times the fishing ports present 

 a very animated appearance. The mackerel fishery is of much 

 less importance and, except in Ireland and at Milford, is carried 

 on locally for the most part. So also with the sprat and pilchard 

 fisheries. 



Then we have a number of methods of fishing w^hich have 

 little general importance. Set nets, stake nets, gill nets, trammels, 

 fishing-baulks and weirs are all in use round the British coasts. 

 Taken collectively these methods of fishing are not unimportant, 

 but they do not count for much so far as the supply of the great 

 markets is concerned, and the fish caught in these ways are mostly 

 sold locally. Set nets and gill nets are simply nets which are 

 constructed much after the manner of a drift net but are moored 

 near the sea bottom. Fish striking against them are meshed by 

 the gills. So also with the trammels, though these are often 

 buoyed like the drift nets and the fish are made to strike against 

 them by beating the surface of the water with oars, or other things 

 calculated to set up vibrations in the w^ater and so frighten the 

 fish and cause them to swim against the trammels. Stake nets 

 are of more importance than either of the foregoing methods. 

 They are long low walls of netting which are set on wooden stakes 

 driven into the sands. They are arranged in straight lines at 

 angles with each other so that the tide runs athwart them towards 

 the corners, where there are usually pockets. Baulks are hedges of 

 wicker work arranged on strong w^ooden stakes. So also are fishing- 

 weirs. Stake nets, baulks and weirs are set at the margins of 

 channels or on sandy flats so that they are exposed at ebb tide 



