50 FISHING INDUSTRY OF PLYIIOUTH. 



She of Tratvl. — The trawl is hauled on board Plymouth 

 trawlers generally if not always on the port side, and the 

 beam of the trawl is of such a length that when hauled 

 on board one of the runners is fastened just ahead of the 

 aftermost stay, and the other made fast on a level with the 

 extreme end of the stern of the vessel. 



Accordingly, a fifty ton trawler will use a trawl with a 

 46 ft. beam, and this is found to be about the size of trawl 

 which such a vessel can tow and work most satisfactorily. 

 A smaller vessel will use a smaller trawl. 



Traivling. — The trawl is towed in the direction of the 

 tide, and owing to the complicated tides of this portion of 

 the Channel, great experience and the closest observation is 

 required. 



As an example of the complication of the currents in the 

 neighbourhood, it may be mentioned that the tide flows in 

 the Channel between the mainland and the Eddystone for 

 three hours and half after it has turned at the Eddystone, 

 and for three hours after high water in the Sound (No. 14). 



A breeze of wind is required for satisfactory work, in fact, 

 the weight of the trawl when partially full is so great that 

 in a liarht breeze the smack cannot tow it. 



The length of the tow-rope is so adjusted that the trawl 

 should drag as lightly as possible over the ground without 

 " lifting.'^ The shorter the tow-rope the more weight is 

 taken off the ground. 



The hardest work in connection with this method of fish- 

 ing is the hauling up of the trawl. The trawl hawser is, 

 by means of a winch, hauled in over the bows of the boat, 

 which is laid to during the process. 



In summer weather, when the fishing ground is covered 

 with sand and '' scruff "^ and the sea smooth, the labour of 

 hauling up the trawl is very great. The net gathers a great 

 amount of mud, weed, and " scruff " at such times, which is 

 a dead weight to lift, and the operation may take a couple 

 of hours. With a slight sea running, however, the boat 

 pitches, and each time she dips a fathom or so of slack rope 

 can be quickly wound in without trouble. 



* See page 53. 



