BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 321 
an eye-splice in one end, is used to haul up the cod-end when it is 
heavily weighted with fish, or when, as sometimes happens, it contains 
stones of considerable size. When either of these contingencies occur 
it is difficult, especially in rough weather, to pull the net over the 
smack’s side with a heavy weight in the cod-end dragging down. One 
end of the cod-line is secured to the lower end of the net by the u poke- 
line” with which the cod is tied up, while its other end makes fast to 
the forward trawl-head. 
( d ). The Trawl- Warp and Bridles. 
The trawl is operated or towed over the bottom by what is called a 
“ trawl- warp” (A, in Fig. 9), usually a 6 to 7\ inch hemp or tarred ma- 
nilla hawser 150 fathoms long, two strings of 75 
fathoms each being spliced together to form it. One 
end of this, in which is an eye-splice and thimble 
(E, Fig. 9), is shackled to two other pieces of smaller 
hawser, termed the “bridles” or “spans” (F, Fig. 
9), each of which is 15 to 20 fathoms long. These 
lead one to either side of the trawl’s mouth, where 
they are shackled to the swivel eye-bolts in front 
of the trawl-heads. 
A smaller but somewhat longer rope, having a 
piece of chain at its lower end, is called the “dandy 
bridle” (D, Fig. 9). This is made fast permanently 
to that end of the beam which comes aft when it is 
taken on the rail, three or four turns of the chain 
on its end being taken around the beam ; the ex- 
treme end is shackled to the trawl-head or to the 
standing part of the bridle. The other end is 
secured to the trawl- warp just above where the 
bridles shackle on, by a half-hitch (C), with the end 
stopped back (B, Fig. 9). 
The dandy bridle is used for convenience in heav- 
ing up and securing the after end of the beam to the stern of the vessel, 
its use preventing the necessity of rigging a derrick, as otherwise it 
is usually necessary to do. At present, however, the dandy bridle 
is quite generally adopted on the larger class of vessels. 
(e). Dimensions and Method of Construction . 
As a matter of interest, in this connection I give detailed measure 
ments of the trawls of two Grimsby smacks, the Willie and Ada , of <3 0 s 
Jons, and the Sobriety , of 75.29 tons, 
Pull. IT, S, F. 0., 37—21 
