July 1951 



COMMEECIAL FISHEEIES REVIEW 



33 



the drags, and two helpers. All force occupy themselves shucking scallops while the 

 dragging operation is under way. 



Type of Gear and Method of Fishing : The legal width of the Digbyrigis 18 feet, 

 which allows for seven individual drags attached to a single steel drag bar, which 

 can be compared to a whiffle- 

 tree. The nets of these drags 

 are made of wire rings which, 

 by law, must be no less than 

 three inches in diameter so 

 tl:iat young scallop can escape 

 through them. The rings are 

 connected to each other by 

 washers and when one wears 

 out or becomes twisted or 

 broken, it is easily replaced. 

 The net is about eight rings 

 deep. Its opening is a heavy 

 frame made of angle irons, the 

 inside measiirement of which is 

 2 feet 6f inches by 9 inches. 

 A piece of hardwood to match 

 the frame in size is used for 

 the bottom part of the drag, 

 which is thus kept open as 

 fully as possible at all times. 



^ GANG OF,,SEVEN SMALL DRAGS CONNECTED IN LINE TO THE MAIN 

 'spreader' BAR ARE USED BY DIGBY SCALLOPERS. THIS RIG IS 

 OPERATED FROM THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE UNRA I LED DECK. 



A gang of seven of these small drags is more efficient, on a ground which might 

 be pitted with holes or strewn with larger rocks, than one to two long ones such as 

 are used by United States scallopers in the Atlantic. 



When in operation, the lower side of the frontal frame of each drag acts as a 

 scraper, picking up scallops from the sea bed along with a certain amount of other 

 matter, such as small rocks, starfish, sculpin, flounder, and anglerfish. 



Kach drag is connected in line to the main "spreader" bar, a swivel attachment 

 used for the connection allowing the drags free swing. A set of chains attached to 

 the bar at regular intervals acts as a bridle, linking the entire gang of seven to 

 the towing warp. 



This warp runs from a gasoline-powered winch on the port side of the deck, just 

 forward of the wheelhouse. A strong steel cable is carried forward through a pulley 

 to a shortboom which projects over the starboard side from the foot of the mast. 

 The boom holds the warp clear of the side of the boat and thus, if the drags hit some 

 obstruction on the bottom, the boat tends to swing around into the "pull," and the 

 strain on the engines is eased. 



The drags and spreader bar are laid along the starboard edge of the unrailed 

 deck and dropped overboard in one quick operation, the winchman releasing a check 

 rope tied to the spreader bar to let the cable run free. As the rig drops, the 

 skipper speeds up his engines until the drags hit the bottom, at which point the 

 winchman locks the cable and the boat slows doivn to settle into the drag, which 

 usually lasts about 20 minutes. 



