FROM YACHTS AND LARGE FISHING BOA'I S 307 



which should be sailed in about the same direction as the tide. 

 The sides of the bridle should be paid out over each quarter, 

 and the otter boards will quickly expand the mouth of the net. 

 It is necessary to sail faster than the tidal current, and an otter 

 trawl in particular should not be worked across the tide. It 

 requires far more skill to work than a beam trawl. 



Fish, as a rule, lie head to the current, even those which 

 burrow in the sand, such as flat fish, and it is better for the 

 trawl to come on to their noses than on to their tails. If their 

 tails were touched first, many of them would probably swim 

 off in the opposite direction from the trawl ; but on meeting 

 the ground rope they swim up, and the ground rope passes 

 under them. 



Professional fishermen often cause their trawls to steer the 

 vessel by making fast the warp to such part of the hull that 

 the pull of the warp nullifies the action of the wind. In a 

 strong wind or bad weather, when the vessel is pitching or 

 travelling too fast, it may be found necessary to place extra 

 weights on the end of the otter boards. Using galvanised 

 iron chain as part of the bridle has the same effect as a chain 

 cable has on an anchor, tending to keep down the warp and 

 make the pull on the boards rather towards the horizontal than 

 the perpendicular. It has been recommended to make fast the 

 warp to the bows of the yacht, bringing the warp down to the 

 stern or other part as may be desired, so that should the trawl 

 catch in anything the warp may be cast off the stern, when the 

 yacht would be at once brought up head to wind. I should 

 think this was a rather dangerous proceeding in bad weather. 



Trawling is not often successful during the day in bright 

 weather when the water is fairly calm and clear. At night most 

 fish will be caught, or during the day when the water has 

 been rendered thick by recent storm, or floods coming down 

 the estuary of some river. 



