﻿20 
  OTTER-TEAWL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  The 
  otter 
  trawl, 
  as 
  used 
  by 
  steamers 
  fishing 
  out 
  of 
  Boston, 
  is 
  essen- 
  

   tially 
  a 
  large, 
  flattened, 
  conical 
  bag, 
  which 
  is 
  towed 
  along 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  of 
  the 
  sea. 
  The 
  mouth 
  of 
  this 
  bag 
  is 
  kept 
  open 
  laterally 
  by 
  two 
  

   large 
  boards, 
  or 
  doors, 
  one 
  on 
  each 
  side, 
  so 
  rigged 
  that 
  they 
  operate 
  

   like 
  kites. 
  These 
  boards 
  are 
  secured 
  to 
  the 
  towing 
  warps 
  by 
  chain 
  

   bridles, 
  so 
  adjusted 
  that 
  as 
  the 
  trawl 
  is 
  towed 
  along 
  the 
  resistance 
  

   of 
  the 
  water 
  causes 
  the 
  boards 
  to 
  pull 
  away 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  thus 
  

   spreading 
  the 
  bag. 
  

  

  This 
  conical 
  bag 
  is 
  about 
  150 
  feet 
  long. 
  That 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   of 
  the 
  bag 
  which 
  lies 
  on 
  the 
  sea 
  bottom 
  is 
  secured 
  to 
  a 
  foot 
  line 
  140 
  

   feet 
  long, 
  reaching 
  from 
  board 
  to 
  board. 
  The 
  upper 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  is 
  secured 
  to 
  a 
  shorter 
  headline, 
  110 
  feet 
  long, 
  also 
  reaching 
  

   from 
  board 
  to 
  board. 
  In 
  operation 
  this 
  headline, 
  being 
  shorter, 
  

   causes 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  bag 
  to 
  extend 
  considerably 
  in 
  

   advance 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  portion. 
  

  

  The 
  otter 
  boards 
  are 
  usually 
  about 
  10 
  feet 
  long, 
  4 
  feet 
  high, 
  and 
  

   2^ 
  inches 
  thick 
  and 
  are 
  heavily 
  shod 
  and 
  reinforced 
  with 
  iron. 
  At 
  

   ordinary 
  towing 
  speed 
  their 
  kite-like 
  action 
  extends 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

   the 
  net 
  laterally 
  to 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  from 
  70 
  to 
  90 
  feet. 
  The 
  flow 
  of 
  water 
  

   into 
  the 
  net 
  tends 
  to 
  keep 
  it 
  open 
  vertically, 
  but 
  this 
  force 
  is 
  

   assisted 
  by 
  a 
  painted 
  canvas 
  float 
  attached 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   headline. 
  

  

  The 
  foot 
  line 
  is 
  a 
  wire 
  cable 
  served 
  with 
  marline 
  and 
  wound 
  with 
  

   rope, 
  giving 
  it 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  about 
  4 
  inches. 
  This 
  wrapping 
  tends 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  the 
  line 
  from 
  cutting 
  into 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  thus 
  reduces 
  the 
  

   wear 
  and 
  tear 
  on 
  the 
  net. 
  Chafing 
  gear, 
  consisting 
  of 
  sections 
  of 
  

   old 
  nets, 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  further 
  protection. 
  

  

  The 
  nets 
  themselves, 
  which 
  are 
  all 
  imported, 
  are 
  constructed 
  of 
  

   strong 
  manila 
  twine, 
  with 
  a 
  mesh 
  of 
  about 
  3 
  inches 
  square 
  in 
  the 
  

   forward 
  third 
  of 
  the 
  bag. 
  The 
  central 
  third 
  has 
  a 
  mesh 
  about 
  1^ 
  

   inches 
  square. 
  In 
  the 
  last 
  third 
  of 
  the 
  net, 
  or 
  cod 
  end, 
  the 
  twine 
  is 
  

   doubled. 
  This 
  makes 
  the 
  knots 
  larger 
  and 
  reduces 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  

   mesh 
  to 
  about 
  1^ 
  inches 
  square. 
  The 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  cod 
  end 
  is 
  open 
  and 
  

   is 
  secured, 
  while 
  fishing, 
  with 
  a 
  draw 
  string. 
  

  

  In 
  setting 
  the 
  trawl, 
  the 
  wire 
  cables 
  are 
  run 
  through 
  fair 
  leads 
  to 
  

   and 
  through 
  the 
  gallow 
  sheaves, 
  one 
  forward 
  and 
  one 
  aft 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  

   from 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  proposed 
  to 
  set. 
  The 
  cables 
  are 
  then 
  shackled 
  to 
  

   the 
  chain 
  bridles 
  of 
  the 
  otter 
  boards, 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  turn 
  secured 
  to 
  

   either 
  wing 
  of 
  the 
  trawl. 
  The 
  vessel 
  is 
  then 
  brought 
  beam 
  to 
  the 
  

   wind, 
  the 
  net 
  being 
  on 
  the 
  windward 
  side. 
  The 
  cod 
  end 
  is 
  then 
  

   tied 
  up 
  and 
  put 
  overboard, 
  the 
  balance 
  of 
  the 
  net 
  being 
  paid 
  out 
  

   as 
  the 
  vessel 
  drifts 
  to 
  leeward 
  away 
  from 
  it. 
  The 
  float 
  (usually 
  a 
  

   balloon-shaped 
  canvas 
  bladder) 
  is 
  secured 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  top 
  

   of 
  the 
  bag. 
  The 
  net 
  is 
  now 
  all 
  gone 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  with 
  the 
  excep- 
  

  

  