The Herring Fishery. 49 



The size of the drift-net varies on different parts of the 

 coast. The herring-net used in the long-standing Yar- 

 mouth fishery may, however, be taken as an illustration of 

 this particular kind of net, and the manner in which it is 

 there worked agrees essentially with its operation in all the 

 drift fisheries. 



The drift-net, taking it altogether, consists of a number 

 of nets, usually from 120 to 130, each of which is 17 yards 

 long, and between seven and eight yards deep. They are 

 attached along their upper margin by short pieces of line a 

 few inches apart to the back-rope, a double rope enclosing 

 at short intervals single pieces of cork to keep that part of 

 the net uppermost. These nets are fastened together at 

 their extremities, and thus united form what is called a 

 " train, fleet, or drift of nets," extending to a length of 

 nearly a mile and a quarter. The depth to which the nets 

 are sunk is regulated by ropes seven or eight yards long, 

 called " seizings," two of which, from each net, are made 

 fast to a stout warp running the whole length of the train, 

 the warp itself being supported near the surface by small 

 kegs or buoys, technically called "bowls." The warp is 

 also useful in taking the strain off the nets, and in pre- 

 venting their loss in case the train should be fouled and cut 

 by a vessel passing over them when they are near the sur- 

 face. The minimum size of the herring-mesh is fixed by 

 law at " one inch from knot to knot along the line," or, to 

 put it in a form perhaps less likely to be misunderstood, at 

 one inch square. In practice, however, it is found that in 

 order to catch good-sized fish rather larger dimensions are 

 desirable, and meshes running from 31 to 34 instead of 36 

 to the yard are, with few exceptions, in use all around the 

 coast. 



Drift fishing is carried on at night. The nets are shot 



E 



