MARINE FOOD FISHES I31 
large seine boat (over thirty feet in length) is rowed by 
six men, while two others work the net. From two 
smaller boats is worked a stop-net, and in the fourth 
boat is the man who directs the proceedings. 
The drift net consists of several nets connected 
together in one long line, each boat having a fleet of 
sixteen nets. These nets, corked above and leaded below, 
are set parallel to the shore. When in position the drift 
net presents to the advancing shoal of fish, a perpen- 
dicular wall, twenty-four feet in depth and often two 
miles long. The nets, when connected together, are 
spoken of as “trains” or “ fleets.” 
The drift net is not fixed, but floats with the tide, 
and can be used in any depth of water for the capture 
of surface-swimming fishes, such as the herring, the 
pilchard and the mackerel. The method by which fish 
are caught in this net has already been described, and 
every visitor to a fishing port has seen the fishermen 
sitting on up-turned buckets and empty boxes, passing 
the net along from a heap in front of them to a heap 
behind them, and dexterously extricating the herrings 
that have been caught by the gills. 
Lastly, we have the most important method of all: 
the trawl. Small trawls are worked round our shores 
for plaice, whiting, lemon-soles, dabs, skates and rays. 
But the deep-sea trawler captures in addition, turbot, 
cod, halibut and hake. 
Until quite recently the largest trawler was a sail- 
ing vessel manned by four to five hands; this boat 
