MARINE FOOD FISHES 131 



large seine boat (over thirty feet in length) is rowed by- 

 six men, while two others work the net. From two 

 smaller boats is worked a stop-net, and in the fourth 

 boat is the man who directs the proceedings. 



The drift net consists of several nets connected 

 together in one long line, each boat having a fleet of 

 sixteen nets. These nets, corked above and leaded below, 

 are set parallel to the shore. When in position the drift 

 net presents to the advancing shoal of fish, a perpen- 

 dicular wall, twenty-four feet in depth and often two 

 miles long. The nets, when connected together, are 

 spoken of as " trains " or " fleets." 



The drift net is not fixed, but floats with the tide, 

 and can be used in any depth of water for the capture 

 of surface -swimming fishes, such as the herring, the 

 pilchard and the mackerel". The method by which fish 

 are caught in this net has already been described, and 

 every visitor to a fishing port has seen the fishermen 

 sitting on up-turned buckets and empty boxes, passing 

 the net along from a heap in front of them to a heap 

 behind them, and dexterously extricating the herrings 

 that have been caught by the gills. 



Lastly, we have the most important method of all : 

 the trawl. Small trawls are worked round our shores 

 for plaice, whiting, lemon-soles, dabs, skates and rays. 

 But the deep-sea trawler captures in addition, turbot, 

 cod, halibut and hake. 



Until quite recently the largest trawler was a sail- 

 ing vessel manned by four to five hands ; this boat 



