400 MISCELLANEOUS 



lower side of the triangular head irons is made so as to slide easily 

 over the sea bottom, like the runners of a sleigh. 



This combination then, of net, beam, and irons is dragged behind 

 the vessel over bottom which has been found smooth enough for the 

 purpose, and the operation is called beam trawling. 



STEAM TRAWLING. 



Up till nearly thirty years ago trawl fishing was carried on entirely 

 by sailing vessels. With the increasing fresh fish trade, the ad- 

 vantages of steam vessels, not only in the dragging and handling of 

 the cumbersome beam trawl, but in their ability to make speed to 

 the land in any weather, with their fresh fish, soon became apparent, 

 and in the early eighties of the last century, steam propelled vessels 

 came into common use for trawl fishing in the British islands. 



With the exception of one or two places on the south coast of Eng- 

 land where some sailing trawlers are still in existence, steam vessels 

 are now used entirely all round the British coasts. 



THE OTTEB TRAWL. 



Not long after the general introduction of steam vessels in this 

 class of fishery, a further advance was effected in the shape of im- 

 proved and less cumbersome trawling gear. 



I think it was about the year 1889 that some one, with an inven- 

 tive turn of mind, hit upon the idea of keeping the mouth of the 

 trawl-net open without the use of the clumsy beam and irons. 



The new device consists in attaching what is called a board, measur- 

 ing about 5 feet by 3 feet, to each end of the mouth of the net. 



The ropes by which the vessel drags the net are fixed to the boards 

 in such a way that, as the vessel steams ahead, the pressure of the 

 water on the inner face of the boards drives them apart and keeps the 

 mouth of the net quite as open as the old beam arrangement. 



This new kind of gear is named the ' Otter Trawl,' hence the use 

 of the double name ' Beam and Otter Trawling'. 



I would here point out that in the making of laws regarding trawl- 

 ing in Canada, the two names should be used; because if 'beam' 

 trawling only was forbidden in certain areas there would be nothing 

 to prevent parties so inclined to go on using an ' otter ' trawl in the 

 prohibited waters. 



The ' otter ' invention proved so successful when first used that all 

 steam vessels at once discarded the old beam and adopted the new 

 otter trawl. 



The advantages of the otter trawl are to be found in that it occupies 

 very little space on board the vessel, is easier to handle, can be used 

 over much rougher bottom, and captures a greater proportion of 

 round fish than the beam trawl. 



Otter trawling, then, is the latest, and most successful mode of cap- 

 turing large quantities of fish ever put in operation. Those sailing 

 vessels on the south coast of England, to which I have referred, con- 

 tinue the use of the original beam trawl for the very obvious reason 

 that in a light wind they could not make the necessary speed to force 

 the boards of the otter trawl apart and keep the mouth of the net 

 open, consequently, they go after the slower-moving flat fish with the 

 beam trawl. 



