THE PILCHARD THE STURGEON 



of the skipper and the net-minders. At times the skipper 

 seems to be giving as many and as rapid directions as 

 though he were a coach training a racing crew. This is 

 because there is no reliance to be placed on the position 

 of the bodies of the shoal ; at one time the fish will 

 appear to be making straight away from the boat's 

 course ; the minute after, the rowers must suddenly slow 

 up, because it seems as though the entire shoal is driving 

 as quickly as possible towards them. 



At last, at a shout from the skipper, every one stops 

 pulling and rests on his oar, and the two net-men in the 

 seine-boat, one at bow and the other in the stern, throw 

 the ends of the seine to the two smaller boats, and all 

 three begin shooting. The " bunt " or deepest portion of 

 the net is sunk from the large boat and requires careful 

 handling, being the most heavily weighted part. As soon 

 as the lower edge of this has touched the water it is 

 maintained in that position while the other two crews 

 arrange the tow-lines that are to be attached to the 

 wings. 



" Right," and " Ay, ay ! " come hoarsely from first one 

 boat and then the other, and the men in the principal 

 boat lower the bunt gently, parallel to the coast-line, till 

 only the cork-rope is visible. 



Now that the main net is down the seine-boat pulls 

 rapidly back towards the shore for a minute and then 

 stops again, waiting to complete the work. Meanwhile 

 the boat at each end has been joining one wing of a 

 second and a third net the " stop-seines " to the prin- 

 cipal seine, and is now pulling towards the bigger craft in 



159 



