SALMON-FISHING AS AN INDUSTRY 



as to serve as a channel up which the fish swim with the 

 current till they are driven, through openings at the end, 

 into a " court " or enclosed net, whence there is no escape. 



The catching done in deeper water is by stow-nets or 

 " bags," which are sunk from smacks, and are like those 

 which some of the Scotch fishermen use in the estuaries 

 for mackerel, etc. In shape there is little to distinguish 

 the " bag " from the ordinary trawl-net ; it has a beam 

 as described in Chapter III, and is shot in a somewhat 

 peculiar manner. When the boat is ready to drop the 

 net, she is hove-to, and a couple of bridles which are 

 attached to the mouth of the net then have their free 

 ends fastened to the anchor which, on being dropped, 

 helps to sink the net, and eventually moors both net and 

 boat. In this way the mouth of the net is held com- 

 fortably open for the fish to swim into ; and, as has been 

 already shown, their intelligence is seldom equal to the 

 task of showing them a way out again. 



All English and Irish salmon-nets are taxed, the rates 

 ranging from 3 to 20 ; in Ireland up to 30. 



