340 FISHES AND FISHING 



Seines. — A seine, or sean, is a long, comparatively 

 shallow net, which is so shot that it can be drawn over 

 a certain area of ground or water in such manner as 

 to capture anything within that area. For the pur- 

 poses of this chapter, all seines other than those fished 

 from the shore may be disregarded. The head rope 

 of such nets must carry sufficient cork to float buoy- 

 antly, and the ground rope be so weighted as to hold 

 the bottom. The head and ground ropes are generally 

 kept in their relative positions, and held apart while 

 the net is being hauled by poles at the ends of the net 

 round which they are hitched (see Fig. 216) . Such nets 

 are commonly shot from a boat which is rowed out from 

 the shore and back again, the end of one hauling rope 

 being left on the shore during the shot (A in Fig. 215), 

 and the end of the other landed some distance away 

 (B in Fig. 215) . The net is then hauled ashore, the two 

 ends being brought closer to one another during the 

 process, until the central part of the net is finally 

 brought ashore about midway between the points at 

 which the hauling ropes were originally left and landed. 

 A tuck seine only differs from a seine in having a bunt, 

 or bag (analogous to the cod end of a trawl), in its 

 centre, which collects the fish and prevents their escape. 



Seines and tuck seines are principally of use for catch- 

 ing fish on a smooth strand, particularly on a gradually 

 shelving beach or in an estuary. They are most effi- 

 cient if fished by night or at low-water springs, and if 

 there is any appreciable tide or current, the boat must 

 be rowed against such tide or current while shooting 

 the net. 



For commercial purposes seine nets which have no 

 bunt are frequently used, but such nets require very 

 careful handling, and are not suitable for the inexperi- 

 enced. On the other hand, a tuck seine of moderate 



