58 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



all hanging over from the beam and towing alongside as 

 the smack went through the water. At this stage the 

 fore-end of the beam was slacked away until it was 

 completely clear of the vessel and turned by the action 

 of the water at nearly a right-angle from the stern. 

 Then the other end was lowered until the whole beam 

 was level with the water, and the trawl being in its 

 proper position, the vessel was forced along a little 

 faster and the bridle and warp carefully paid out, so 

 as to allow the trawl to sink to the level of the sea. 

 Immediately on touching the bottom, the fishing began, 

 for the trawl-heads ran on the ground, the ground-rope 

 stirred up the fish, and the creatures were captured in 

 greater or lesser abundance, quickly or slowly, according 

 to numbers and the nature of the locality. 



It was while the smack was towing her gear that the 

 crew would snatch some rest and be ready for the heavy 

 work of hauling the trawl and cleaning, sorting, and 

 packing the fish and getting it ready for conveyance to 

 the carrier. Once the gear was shot, the skipper and 

 his crew were in the hands of fortune. Not even the 

 most experienced fisherman could tell, except occasionally, 

 what the luck of the sea would bring him. His net 

 might be full to bursting, or the catch might be so 

 meagre as not to be worth the trouble of sending to 

 market. It might happen, too, that the net would foul a 

 submerged wreck, or an old anchor, or, being on rough 

 ground, might become entangled with stones or rocks 

 and torn to tatters. Frequently a net would be hauled 

 in a state of wreckage, and it was then necessary to set 

 to work at once to repair the damage. 



Some astonishing hauls have been made in the North 



