342 MODERN SEA FISHING 



fish. The shrimps while still alive are sifted through sieves 

 which separate the saleable from the undersized. Many of the 

 shrimpers of the Thames estuary and elsewhere carry great 

 cauldrons in which they boil their shrimps on board, so that by 

 the time they come into port their catch is ready to be placed 

 in the train and sent off without delay to London. The head- 

 quarters of the Thames shrimping industry is at Leigh, in 

 Essex. Excepting some modern additions to the place, the 

 whole of Leigh is inhabited by fishermen. 



By the fishery bylaws of the Thames Conservancy, 'all 

 shrimps' by which, I suppose, is meant those which are 

 caught ' to be sifted when alive through a sieve of three- 

 eighths of an inch between the wires, all of which wires shall be 

 placed either vertical or horizontal, and no shrimp which will 

 pass through such sieve shall be kept or retained.' I suppose 

 the makers of the bylaw understood it. I live in hopes of 

 meeting some one who can explain to me the advantages of a 

 vertical sieve. 



The setting of traps, called pots, for lobsters and crabs 

 hardly comes within the range of ' sport,' but the sea fisher may 

 be glad of a little information on the subject. First, however, 

 a few words as to the hoop net by which lobsters, when plenti- 

 ful, can be caught. Years ago the Hebridean fishermen had 

 the habit of going out in small boats to lay down these nets 

 baited with offal. As soon as they felt a pull on the line they 

 would haul up, when there was generally a lobster in the net. 

 Now they say lobsters are so scarce that this method is of small 

 service, and, in lieu of a single hoop, boats may be seen going 

 laden with a large number of lobster pots. 



At Walton-on-the-Naze this method of fishing is still 

 carried on. The net, the measurements of which can be ascer- 

 tained from the illustration, is let down on the bottom, and 

 the line is buoyed. Those who are expert at the practice 



