274 APPARATUS FOR FISHING. 



chance to come to an end, or even materially diminished, 

 the result would be the loss of many thousands of tons of 

 wholesome food to all classes of people in this country. 



THE OTTER-TRAWL. 



This net, although used in the same manner as the beam- 

 trawl, differs from it essentially in having no beam, and the 

 mouth of the net is kept open by means of long wings of 

 netting, at the end of each of which is what is called an 

 otter-board. On the action of these otter-boards depends 

 in a great measure the proper working of the net. But 

 before describing them we will say a few words about the 

 construction and shape of the net. As the size of the net 

 may vary according to that of the vessel from which it is 

 to be worked, and as its use is practically confined to 

 yachtsmen who have them made of suitable dimensions for 

 their vessels, we need only give the general proportions of 

 the two essential parts the body and the wings. The 

 body of an otter-trawl say, 28 feet long consists of a bag 

 28 feet in length. 10 feet square at the mouth, and the 

 small end or purse about four feet square. This is closed 

 with a draw-rope as in the same part of the beam-trawl. 

 The wings for a trawl of the size we are describing are 

 each about 36 feet long, and are fastened one on each side 

 of the square mouth of the net, their height when joined to 

 the trawl being 10 feet, the same as the trawl itself at that 

 part. From this point the height of the wing gradually 

 diminishes through its entire length of 36 feet, till it 

 becomes reduced to two feet at the other end. The foot of 

 the wings and of the mouth is weighted to keep it on the 

 ground, and the upper edge or back of the same parts is 

 buoyed up with pieces of cork. A nice adjustment of 

 weights to corks is important to enable the net to work 



