28 THE SEA FISHERIES 



in shrimping the beam would be of 25 ft. only, in order to comply 

 with the by-laws. Sea fish nets and shrimp nets are interchangeable 

 on beams of 25 ft. and less. With a beam from 25 to 30 ft. the 

 trawl-irons or trawl-heads would weigh from 36 to 45 lb. each, the 

 lighter iron being used for shrimping. Flax or cotton is used for 

 the nets, which are preserved before use by tanning or tarring. 

 The beam is of greenheart or lancewood, the qualities looked for 

 being weight and strength. The beam is usually in three parts, 

 the middle piece being much the longest. 



In a shrimp iron the length would be i ft. to the bend, the height 

 10 in., the length of sole and bend 18 in. In a fish trawl iron the 

 dimensions are sole 2ft. to bend, sole and bend 2 ft. 8 in., 16 in. in 

 height, and 10 in. from eye to beam. 



In a beam-trawl of 40 ft. from head to head the height of the 

 irons would be 3 ft., the net would be 70 ft. measured over the 

 back and 4 to 5 ft. wide at the cod-end. The trawl bridles would 

 be about 15 fathoms each, and to this a trawl-warp of 150 fathoms 

 is shackled. With a sailing trawler, trawling is always with the 

 tide, against it the net could not be kept on the ground. 



In a second-class cutter with a net of 26 ft. beam the following 

 are the dimensions in the case of a Fleetwood boat : — 



At the top of the back of the net, near the head line, 14 score 

 meshes, of ij in. from knot to knot. The total length of the foot- 

 rope io| fathoms, length of back of net 50 ft., length of belly from 

 hinder end of foot -rope to cod-end 25 ft. or 26 ft. The width of 

 the net at the hinder end of foot -rope is 7-score and 10 meshes, 

 at the cod-end 40 meshes. The hinder end of the pocket, inserted 

 in the net, is 15 meshes across.^ 



These nets can be worked on muddy or sandy grounds, or where 

 the bottom consists of sand and shells. Weed and stones are both 

 objectionable. Every skipper holds his own opinion as to the best 

 method of fishing. Probably some will agree with me that on a 

 good trawling ground with a breeze 4 on Beaufort scale at a depth 

 of 6 fathoms it would not be far wrong to pay out 25 fathoms of 

 warp in addition to the bridles ; at 10 fathoms, 50 fathom of warp 

 could be used. As the breeze freshened more warp would be paid 

 out. 



The trawl catches any species of fish living on or near the sea 

 bottom. The second chief method of fishing— drift netting— on 

 the contrary is only designed to catch one species, usually either 

 herring or mackerel, and that not on the bottom, but while swimming 



1 There is an interesting account of the method of knitting a trawl-net in "Notes 

 on Nets ; or, the Quincunx practically considered," by C. Bathurst, pub. van 

 Voorst, London, N.D. See p. 92. 



