266 APPARATUS FOR FISHING. 



beam would be the first to reach the bottom. If, however, 

 as has been described, the net be got into a proper 

 position when at the surface, and the vessel be slowly sailed 

 along, the net is then towed after it, and as the warp is 

 given out, the net gradually sinks without changing its 

 position, until at last it reaches the ground. Of course, 

 experience teaches the fishermen how to regulate the speed 

 of the vessel and the rate at which the warp should be 

 given out so as to ensure just sufficient strain on the trawl 

 to keep it steady whilst it is sinking. These are matters 

 which none but the practical fisherman thoroughly under- 

 stands ; they require some little judgment to prevent 

 mistakes, and mistakes will sometimes be made ; the 

 strength of the tide may be miscalculated, or something 

 else ; and the irregular action of the trawl, owing to the 

 beam instead of only the irons touching the ground, tells the 

 fishermen that the trawl is "on its back." When this 

 happens there is nothing to be done but to heave up the 

 net often a long and laborious process and then, after 

 getting it into the proper position, to lower it once more. 



Supposing the trawl to have reached the bottom all right 

 and to be moving evenly over the ground, as can be readily 

 felt by the steady strain on the warp, the master uses his 

 judgment as to how much more warp should be paid out. 

 It should be remembered that the weight of the net and the 

 trawl-irons, without considering the beam itself which, from 

 being so continually under water, soon becomes more or 

 less saturated, and loses more of its original buoyancy is 

 such as to keep the whole apparatus at the bottom, whilst 

 the pull of the warp by which the trawl is towed along, is 

 in a direction slanting upwards. There are therefore two 

 opposing forces, one tending to keep the net on the ground, 

 and the other lifting it. The object is to regulate these forces 



