METHODS OF FISHING 25 



at Fleetwood, Freckleton (near Preston) and Brixham. All were 

 ketch-rigged. The sails were made locally by a sailmaker and they 

 were — ^particularly the mainsail — of very heavy canvas (No. O 

 Hemp) and coated after one winter's wear with red ochre and linseed 

 oil. Spars and small repairs were also attended to locally. 



The length of trawl beam was from 50 to 54 ft., it was of green- 

 heart, the trawl heads or irons weighed from 8 to 10 score pounds. 

 These were made by the local blacksmith. The trawl warp and 

 bridles were of tarred manilla. 



The owner, who was responsible for the upkeep of the boat and 

 gear, took two and a half shares, the other four shares going equally 

 between the men, who settled with the boy at the end of each trip. 

 The boy generally got a shilling a week from each man, or after an 

 unusually good trip one shilling and sixpence. The whelks were 

 the perquisite of the boy and the oysters of the men. The day was 

 divided into four watches, two floods and two ebbs. A dark ebb 

 and flood and a moonlight flood and ebb were distinguished, and 

 in the dark tides most soles were caught. After the net was shot 

 and the fish cleared away (from the previous haul) the crew went 

 below for a meal, previously prepared by the boy, and at this time 

 the boy was left alone on deck. Hauls were made at high and low 

 water. 



The most flourishing period of the Hoylake fishery was between 

 1885 and 1895, when about forty boats fished from Hoylake. 



Afterwards the " Hoylake " began to silt up rapidly and many 

 of the younger men went into the steam trawlers. The boats of 

 this fleet now remaining fish from the Mersey. 



The net was of hemp, the meshes at the tail or cod end being 

 4I in. measured round the four sides of the square to about 7 in. 

 at the top of the net. In winter a much smaller mesh was occa- 

 sionally used for whiting. The nets were made locally. Usually 

 an old retired fisherman knitted the back, for which he received a 

 pound sterling. The other portions were made by the crew ; the 

 skipper knitted the wings, the mate the belly or g-score piece, the 

 third hand the 7-score piece and the fourth hand the 5-score 

 piece. 



The net was preserved with coal tar. In the older boats there was 

 a double purchase winch fore side of the mast as well as an after 

 winch for heaving up the after part of the trawl. 



These boats were, as a rule, splendidly built, and the writer has 

 seen one at work a hundred years after it was launched. 



Gradually a steam capstan superseded the winch for the purpose 

 of hauling in the trawl. It was first introduced about 1890, and 

 consisted of a compact perpendicular boiler fixed fore side of the 



