FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



great and high prices were obtainable with no cost 

 whatever for transport, the fish being sold either 

 direct from the boat on the beach or carried to the 

 nearest shop or dealer not far away. The net em- 

 ployed was of the herring-net type, with approxi- 

 mately the same mesh and with small cork-floats at 

 short intervals. It was about 150 yards long and 

 two yards deep, and at each end there was lashed a 

 stout pole to which a long hauling-line was fastened. 

 For the purpose of shooting the net was stowed in 

 the stern-sheets of the boat, with a man in charge ; 

 another man rowed a pair of oars and two men had 

 an oar each, so that the boat had four men in her. 

 She was pulled out for a distance of about 300 yards, 

 two men on the beach having one of the hauling- 

 ropes each. When at the distance mentioned the 

 man in the stern-sheets shot the net, the rowers 

 meanwhile pulling in what was approximately a 

 half -circle. When shot the net formed a semicircu- 

 lar wall in the water and effectively enclosed any fish 

 there might be between that net-barrier and the 

 beach itself. The boat having returned three men 

 jumped into the surf and the man who was left in 

 the little craft pulled himself along by one of the 

 hauling-ropes until he was at the back of the net, 

 where he stood by. The men on the sands then 

 immediately began to haul in the nets. At the start 

 they were separated by a distance of about 200 

 yards, but as the net was hauled in and became more 

 and more like the cod -end of an ordinary trawl, they 

 got closer together and at last, when the net was 



196 



