TRAWL NET. 15 



called the ground rope, and follows considerably 

 behind the advanced straight line of the beam, 

 forming the portion of the circle seen through 

 the upper surface of the net in the representation. 

 This sort of net is only adapted for taking those 

 fish that live upon or very near the bottom ; when 

 drawn along, the first part of the net that touches 

 the fish is the ground rope, from the contact of 

 which the fish darts upward, but the part of the 

 net hanging from the beam is not only over but 

 also in advance of him, while the onward draft 

 of the net by the progress of the boat brings the 

 fish against the closed end of the tail, and if he 

 then shoots forward towards the mouth of the net 

 he is stopped and entangled in pockets that only 

 open backwards. As the fish in the tideway lie 

 with their heads against the stream, the fisher- 

 men trawl with the tide, that is, draw the net 

 down the stream, carrying only so much sail on 

 their boat as will give the net the proper draft 

 along the ground, generally at the rate of two 

 and a half or three miles an hour. When it is 

 desirable to examine the contents of the net the 

 beam is hauled up to the side of the vessel by the 

 trawl-warp, the tail of the net is handed in, 



