BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 311 
particularly to the style of beam trawl used in the North Sea by the 
Hull and Grimsby fishermen, though, it may be stated, this has a close 
affinity to the trawls which are worked in the waters off Plymouth, 
Brixham, and other places in Great Britain. 
(a). The Beam. 
The beam is made of a length to correspond with the dimensions of the 
net ; and the size of both the net and beam is usually adapted to the length 
and ability of the vessel which is to tow the trawl. The length of the 
trawl-beams carried by the large vessels varies from 40 to upwards of 50 
feet in length, though for inshore fishing the length is, of course, not 
so great, ranging anywhere from 10 or 12 feet upwards. The beam is 
usually made of ash, beech, or elm, the latter being preferred and most 
commonly used $ oak also is sometimes employed for this purpose, but is 
generally considered too heavy. 1 Por the larger beams it is sometimes 
necessary to use two or more pieces of timber, which are scarfed and 
banded with iron hoops, but a single stick, if easily obtained, is gener- 
ally preferred. In either case the timber is selected as nearly the proper 
size as possible, and little more is done to it than to remove the bark from 
the stick and fit the ends so that they will slip into the sockets on the 
beam heads, where they are securely held by iron wedges driven around 
the wood. A piece of timber with a slight curve in it is generally pre- 
ferred by the North Sea fishermen, this beiug so fitted to the trawl- 
heads that the middle of the beam curves up and is somewhat farther 
from the bottom than the ends are. This is considered much better 
than a straight beam when fishing for haddock, hake, and other free- 
swimming fishes, but probably would have no advantage over the latter 
if sole, turbot, plaice, and other flat-fish were the chief object of pur- 
suit. 
Holdsworth says: “The length of the beam for each vessel is mainly 
determined by the distance between the taffrail and the after shroud, con- 
venience and security both making it desirable to carry the beam, when 
not in use, hoisted up alongside, with one end projecting just beyond the 
stern of the ve ssel, where it is made fast by a special rope or chain, and 
the other coming in front of the after shroud or shrouds. The advantage 
of this arrangement is obvious, as it is generally the case that the beam 
has to be hoisted up whilst the vessel is rolling and pitching about in a 
seaway. The after end of the beam is first got into place, and the fore- 
part is then hoisted up until level with the top of the bulwark, over 
which and between two of the shrouds the iron head at the end of the 
1 “ Beech is the best wood for the purpose,” according to Wilcocks, “because it is so 
porous, drinking up the water, like a sponge, and thus becoming very heavy, which en- 
ables it to keep the ground.” In trawling ports spare trawl-beams are kept on hand, 
and these are put where they may be soaked with water for at least several hours a 
day for a considerable period before they are used. 
