148 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



and is made of a steel wire rope over which old rope 

 is wound. The length of the ground-rope is governed 

 by the size of the trawl-net, but the average length 

 for North Sea fishing is about 140 ft. Trawl-nets 

 are, or ought to be, made from high - class pure 

 Manila twine, Manila fibre having great strength, and 

 being the best-known fibre for work in sea water. 

 Otter trawl-nets are generally coal -tarred, this tar 

 acting as a preservative of the twine. Many changes 

 have taken place in the construction of the otter 

 trawl-net since it was first introduced, and practical 

 fishermen consider that the present apparatus has 

 reached a very high stage of perfection. 



One of the first steam-trawlers to be specially built 

 for fishing was the Zodiac, which was launched in 1881 

 from Earle's yard at Hull. She was constructed on the 

 lines of the powerful sailing vessels which were then 

 employed on the North Sea, and in addition to her 

 engines she carried a good deal of sail. The Zodiac, 

 which was owned by the Grimsby and North Sea Steam 

 Trawling Company, Limited, was completely successful. 

 Since she was put afloat Earle's Shipbuilding and 

 Engineering Company, Limited, have built and equipped 

 more than 160 vessels of the same class. The Zodiac 

 has vanished from the fishing-banks, so have most of 

 her contemporaries, especially those wooden clinker-built 

 paddle-boats with which steam began to conquer sail. 

 Some of these stout little vessels were worked remorse- 

 lessly, and I used to marvel, on seeing them fight their 

 way into port in bad weather, how they held together. 

 They looked like big bantams as they came on, thrashing 

 away with their wings of paddles and immensely proud of 



