BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 333 
may exert its fullest force on the sails. If the wind is moderate all sail 
is kept on the vessel, but if it blows fresh or strong the canvas is re- 
duced so that the smack will go along easily without unnecessary plung- 
ing or heeling over. 
u What the trawlers like,” writes Holdsworth, “is a fresh, steady 
I breeze — one that would enable them to do 8 or 9 knots off the wind 
j when the trawl is not overboard. They can then afford to lose 6 or 7 
! knots by the resistance of the net, and yet move fast enough to enable 
t to do its work properly. Winter is the great trawling time, because 
hen there is pretty sure to be plenty of wind, and, if too much, sail can 
always be reduced; but unfortunately strong winds are accompanied 
by a good deal of sea, and when that is the case, although a great deal 
of extra warp be allowed in order to equalize the strain and prevent 
jerking, it is difficult to keep the trawl steadily moving over the ground. 
! There is always danger in such cases of breaking the warp, and almost 
a certainty of doing so and of losing the whole gear if the net should 
then get foul; and, besides this, the difficulty of heaving up the trawl 
is greatly increased, two or three hours are often spent in the operation, 
and the fish are liable to be killed and very much knocked about before 
they can be got on board. All of these circumstances combine to in- 
duce the fishermen to wait for more moderate weather, it may be for 
only a day or two, or perhaps more, but in any case the supply of fish 
sent to market is lessened for the time, the weather which puts a stop 
to the work of one vessel having probably the same effect on most of 
those fishing in the same district. The Plymouth trawlers are espec- 
ially subject to loss of time from bad weather in winter, as at that sea- 
son southwesterly winds prevail at the mouth of the channel, and there 
is commonly a good deal of sea setting in over their very limited fishing 
ground, only a few miles from the land. Although they can and do 
work when it blows very fresh, a succession of heavy gales almost puts 
a stop to trawling there, and the supply of fish lauded at Plymouth 
fluctuates more than on any other part of the coast.” 
2. Shooting a Trawl from the Port Side. 
If a vessel has just arrived on the ground the bridles are first taken 
up from the hold — where they are stowed with the towing hawser when 
not in use 1 — and shackled to the trawl-heads and then coiled down 
on deck, “the fore bridle forward and the after bridle just before the 
dandy winch.” The end of the towing warp is then taken up, two or 
three turns are thrown around the “dummy” — the inside or leading part 
of the warp being on top — and then the bridles are shackled to it, and 
their coils arranged to run clear. The dandy bridle is next run off the 
winch, the end passed outside themizzen rigging, and bent to the towing 
hawser, just above where the other bridles are shackled on, with ahalf- 
1 Wheu the vessel is on the ground and engaged every day, or almost every day, ip. 
the Mffies m* rarely, if ever, unshackled froqj the 
