FRESH-HALIBUT FISHERY. 11 
called “a dozen lines,” and the standard of size is determined by the weight. Manila lines, how- 
ever, such as the buoy and becket lines, are exceptions to this rule. 
The buoy-lines are 6-thread tarred manila, and are somewhat larger than the ground-lines. 
The becket-line is manila and about the size of the ganging line. . 
The ground-line is made up of several parts or lines, each of which is either 25 or 50 fath- 
oms long. A wall-knot is tied in one end of these lines, so that they will not unlay, and an eye- 
splice is taken in the otherend. The knotted ends are then bent into the looped ends of the other 
lines. By bending a greater or less number of these sections together the trawl can be made of 
any desired length, but the rule is generally to “rig” the trawl in sections, each of which is com- 
posed of seven and a half double lines, or their equivalent, fifteen single ones. 
The becket-lines are cut in lengths of a foot each. These are placed at intervals of 15 feet 
apart on the ground-line by tucking their ends through the line and then hitching around, leaving 
a bight or becket of 3 to 5. inches projecting from the ground-line. Into each of these one end of 
a ganging is bent, while the hook is fastened to the other end of the ganging with tarred twine. 
Each skate of trawl] has one hundred and fifty hooks attached toit. A full-length trawl is com- 
posed of four of these sections, which are called “tubs of trawl,” or “skates of trawl,” these names 
being derived from the receptacles in which the lines are coiled. - The phrases “tub of trawl” and 
“skate of trawl” are synonymous. Formerly halibut trawls were placed in tubs made of a section 
of a flour barrel, but at present an article constructed of canvas and rope and called a “skate” is 
used for this purpose. A skate is a piece of canvas about 15 to 18 inches square, when it is 
hemmed, with two small ropes each 9 or 10 feet long, crossed at right angles on the canvas and 
fastened at each corner and in the center. The trawl is coiled on this, and is tied up with the 
ropes. ‘ : 
The buoys are either common half-barrels or kegs, of uniform size, and made for the purpose, 
sometimes of soft wood, at others of hard wood, and iron bound. A hole is first bored through 
the center of the keg, large enough to admit the staff, which is 1 inch in diameter and about 6 
feet long. This must be driven in as tight as possible to secure the buoy from leaking, leaving 
about 18 inches projecting on the lower side of the buoy, the remainder going through and above 
the upper side, to which a flag is attached, so that itcan be seen at adistance. On the buoys 
farthest from the vessel (commonly called the outer buoys) there is generally a supplementary 
staff shipped, like a topmast, to the larger staff. On the top of this there is a circular black 
flag, called a black ball, which has attached to it a wooden or metal swivel to allow it to revolve 
with the wind around the staff. This flag can be seen for a considerable distance, and enables 
the fishermen to find their buoys in a rough sea, when it would otherwise be almost hopeless 
to look for them. Two parts of the buoy-line are next made fast to the staff—after it has been 
driven through the keg and tightened—close to the buoy on the upper side, and are then brought 
down around on each side and secured to the lower end of the staff, where a swivel is also fast- 
ened for the buoy-line to bend into. This swivel allows the buoy to turn in the tide and sea-way 
without kinking the buoy-line. The buoy-lines are generally cut in 50-fathom sections, bent 
together in the same manner as the ground-lines, and as many of these are used as the depth of 
the water may require. 
The anchors need very little preparation—merely a strap in the ring with two bights, into 
which the buoy-line and trawl are bent. 
The trawls used by the New York halibut vessels are each provided with about 380 hooks, 
placed 25 feet or more apart, with gangings 4 or 5 feet in length. When trawling was first 
introduced manila ground-lines and snoods were used, according to Tripland, and a line having 
