258 APPARATUS FOR FISHING. 



in which the net is moving, to enable them to get clear of 

 it Their chance of escape is, however, very small, for 

 when fish are disturbed without being much alarmed, they 

 seldom move very far, and even should they escape under 

 the beam, the net moving forwards in the same direction 

 would most probably again overtake them. It has been 

 mentioned that the ground-rope is made of an old hawser, 

 and there is a reason for such being used. Although 

 trawling is carried on as a rule over smooth ground, it 

 sometimes happens that there may be an occasional piece 

 of rock in the way, and then if the ground-rope were sound 

 and strong the probable result would be the breaking of 

 the beam or the more serious accident of the parting of the 

 rope by which the trawl is connected with the vessel. In 

 the latter case the whole trawl would be lost; but if the 

 ground-rope were to become hitched in a rock or any 

 obstruction at the bottom, an old rope would break, and 

 the most serious result would be the tearing of the under 

 part of the net. This, of course, is to be avoided if 

 possible, but it is better to tear the net than lose it 

 altogether. 



We have so far spoken only of the front half of the 

 trawl, with its back entirely made up of netting and the 

 under part of the same material cut away into a deep 

 curve which is fastened to the ground-rope. The remain- 

 ing part of the trawl, that is, the portion extending from 

 the bosom to the extreme end, forms a complete bag of 

 netting, and gradually diminishes in breadth until within 

 about ten feet of the end. This last part of it is of 

 uniform width, and is called the " cod " or " purse ; " it is 

 here that the fish which enter the net are mostly collected, 

 and they are prevented from escaping by the end of this 

 bag or purse being closed by a draw-rope when the net is 



