

THE FISH OF DORSET. 9 



be mackerel, herrings, pilchards, or sprats. I have here some samples 

 of the different sizes of mesh used for the above-named fish. The 

 boat having shot its nets (which vary in number with the size of 

 the boat) rides to them till it is time to haul them. Stop nets are 

 plain nets corked and leaded, which are placed across narrow creeks 

 and latches on a falling tide, and the fish are either driven into 

 them by plouching, i.e., beating the water with poles or oars, or 

 waiting till the tide has left them dry, and are mostly used for 

 flounders. The trammel net, a model of which Messrs. Hounsell, 

 of Bridport, have sent me, is a more elaborate concern, and, as its 

 name implies, being a corruption of the French trois inaile (three 

 meshes), is composed of three nets. The two outer ones are of 

 equal size, and are made of stout twine with a mesh of nine or ten 

 inches from knot to knot, and are so fastened to the cork and lead 

 lines, or rawlins, as they are called, that the meshes shall stand quite 

 open and square, and the length and depth of these walls regulate 

 the size of the whole net. Between these two walls is placed 

 another net of very much finer twine, thread or even silk being 

 used, and of only 1^ to 1 inch mesh, but at least double the length 

 and depth of the walls. The leads should sink the corks, so that 

 when set with an anchor or big stone at each end the net should 

 stand up from the bottom like a wall. A fish on striking the net 

 passes through the wall nearest to him, and, striking the inner net, 

 or linnet or lint, as it is called, forces it through the other wall, 

 thus making a purse or bag for himself, and is thus caught. The 

 best places to set trammels are on smooth patches, among rocks, or 

 on the edges of grass beds (Zostera marina), and the fish taken 

 are red mullets, pollock, wrass pout, and sometimes soles, dabs, and 

 plaice. My friend Colonel Willan once took a sole at Portland 21^ 

 inches long, and Captain H. Powell 55 red mullets, besides other 

 fish. The best time to set the net is about 1 hours before sunset, 

 and to haul it when it is dark enough to see three stars, and should 

 it be high water slack about this time so much the better. It is 

 just about dusk that fish seem to be mostly on the move and to 

 change their quarters. Hook and line fishing is not so much 



