OF THE GRIMSBY TRAWL FISHERY. 439 
is always subject to utter frustration by the capture of a quantity of 
weed, mud, or rubbish of any sort, but that appreciable results may 
be accomplished by mere regulation of size of mesh has been suffi- 
ciently demonstrated by the experiments of Mr. Dawson on behalf 
of the Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee, to whose observations 
I would refer readers for particulars. 
So far my remarks must be interpreted as applying only to mesh 
of the ordinary pattern, viz. braided diamond-wise, so that the knots 
offer the least possible resistance to the longitudinal closure of the 
meshes. My own experiments, carried on as opportunities have 
from time to time permitted, have rather led me to the conclusion 
that, for purposes of deep-sea trawling, it is impracticable to 
seriously affect the situation by any mere enlargement which the 
requirements of the case permit. The mesh in the cod-end of 
Grimsby trawls varies from 1} to 3 inches “‘ knot to knot,” 7. e. 2 to 
14 inches “square,” or 3 to 6 inches in circumference. I do not 
think substantial hardship would ensue from the prohibition of a 
mesh of less than 8 inches in circumference in the cod end, but 
at the same time, I am far from sure that the benefit ensuing there- 
from would be altogether in proportion to the disturbance of the 
industry. The 6-inch mesh is, I think, the more popular with the 
fishermen, and I have heard complaints that the owners gave them 
needless trouble by supplying a mesh which augmented their catch 
only by rubbish and mud. 
It seemed to me, however, that if little could be done in the way 
of a profitable and at the same time practicable enlargement of the 
mesh, there was some opportunity of improvement in its pattern. 
As we have already seen, the meshes are arranged in such a way 
that the twine of the knots offers the least possible resistance to 
their closure. It occurred to me that by braiding the meshes for 
the cod end in the ordinary way, but arranging this part of the net 
so that the meshes lay at right angles to their ordinary position, the 
extra strand of twine would offer some resistance to the closure of 
the sides of the mesh. My surmise was sufficiently borne out, as 
long as the net was tolerably new, since a cod end arranged in this 
way caught considerably less small fish than an ordinary cod end 
with mesh of the same size ; but when the net had been thoroughly 
stretched the difference became inappreciable. Moreover, the 
transversely arranged meshes had the disadvantage of being liable 
to be pulled out of shape by the strain, whereas, in a net arranged 
in the ordinary way, the greater the strain the tighter the knots are 
pulled, and the more firmly the meshes are set in their right 
relationships to each other. On the whole, then, the transverse 
method of arranging the meshes cannot be recommended. 
