TKAWLING. 51 



In favorable weather, liauliug in the trawl takes about au 

 hour. As mucli as three tons of fish is at times brought ou 

 board in a single haul, but probably the average weight of 

 fisli would be about four to five cwt. Several smacks in 

 Brixham are fitted with a donkey engine to do the work of 

 hauling in the net, and one Plymouth smack is provided 

 with this convenience, but it is not usual in the boats on this 

 part of the coast as it is on board the large trawlers on the 

 east coast.* 



Day Trawling. — Most of the trawling grounds are within 

 a few houi's' sail of Plymouth. In favorable weather the 

 trawlers generally leave port between 4 and 6 a.m. and 

 return during the following afternoon or night, from 4 to 

 ] 2 p.m., sailing again the next morning at 4 a.m. This they 

 do from Monday morning until Friday night, if the weather 

 remains suitable for so long. Saturday and Sunday the men 

 spend ashore. 



Night Trawling. — The Brixham trawlers (Brixham is the 

 largest trawling port on tbe Channel coast) on the other 

 hand trawl more during the night than during the daytime. 

 The following reason has been given for this : more ^' prime " 

 or "first-class " fish is caught at night than during the day, 

 the greater number of " coarse " fish, or so-called " offal " 

 fish, being caught during the daytime. At Brixham there 

 is but a small market for coarse fish, while in Plymouth 

 there is a much more ready sale for that class of fish. 



If night work is more productive than day work it is 

 mucli more dangerous. A vessel with her trawl down is 

 helpless and runs considerable risk of being run down by 

 large steamers and vessels at night. This risk on the 

 Plymouth, fishing grounds is probably greater than on the 

 grounds mostly frequented by the Brixham smacks. 



Summer Fishing, c^-c. — In the summer season, when trawl 

 fish is scarce in the Channel, most of the Brixham boats go 



* It appears that the reason why a steam winch is not shipped on board 

 Plymouth smacks generally is, that if it was used, a larger share of the 

 proceeds of the fishing would be absorbed by the boat-owner and there would 

 be less available for the fishermen, while at the same time the usual crew 

 would be required to work the vessel. 



