AND HOW TO CATCH THEM. 89 



not evenly and quietly done, the prawns are apt to 

 leave their banquet unfinished and take an abrupt 

 departure. Both shrimps and prawns are in some 

 localities found excellent as baits for salmon and sea 

 trout (vide article "Salmon"). 



The Trawl, 



The form and arrangement of which will be best under- 

 stood by reference to the annexed cut, is most ex- 

 tensively used on our coasts for the capture of fish of all 

 kinds, it being, in fact, a sort of " omnium gatherum," 

 into which all sorts of things curious and interesting are 

 swept; and for all ground fish, as they are called, it is 

 the most destructive net in use. The size and length 

 of the beam, capacity of net, &c., will vary with the 

 particular description of vessel used with it, but the 

 form and general arrangement are pretty much the 

 same in all. The large cutter-rigged trawlers carry 

 nets of as much as thirty-six feet beam. They are 

 composed of very strong twisted twine prepared for 

 the purpose; each end of the beam is shod with a 

 peculiarly formed iron, which aids in sinking the beam, 

 and keeping it in an upright and regular direction : 

 these are called the trawl-heads. Two ropes passing 

 right and left to the ends of the beam are called the 

 bridle, and by means of a block at their meeting are 

 connected with the trawl warps, or rope connecting it 

 with the vessel. In fishing with this description of 



