BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 335 
man is stationed at the dummy holding one end of a rope nipper, which 
is around the towing warp (see Fig. 13, page 328), the running of the lat- 
ter being controlled by this nipper in accordance with the captain’s 
orders. When 20 fathoms or thereabouts of the warp have run out, it is 
checked, and this is repeated every little while to straighten out the 
hawser and pull the trawl into shape, until sufficient scope is out; the 
amount of warp paid away after the gear is on the ground is determined 
by the skipper, who uses his judgment as to what is required for vari- 
ous conditions of current, weather, depth of water, and the kind of fish 
that are sought. It is evident that if he allowed the trawl to sink straigh t 
down, which would be the case if it was not occasionally stopped, while 
the vessel moved ahead, to straighten the warp, it would be liable to 
turn around in the water, in which case it would be somewhat a matter 
of “luck,” whether the net struck the ground on its back or otherwise. 
It sometimes happens that such a mistake is made, even when the ut- 
most precautions are taken. When this happens the irregular jerking 
of the warp as the trawl is pulled over the ground shows something is 
wrong, and, of course, nothing can be done but to get up the gear and 
shoot it properly. 
If, however, the gear is upset in shooting, it can usually be turned 
back again, if the trawl has not sunk too far. 
“ To do this,” writes Olsen, “ I would lash the helm a-lee, haul down 
the foresail, take the dandy bridle forward over the bow, heave in on 
it, and cast the gear back again.” 
If the trawl seems to be working all right the towing hawser is finally 
made fast with a “trawl-rope stopper,” a 2|-inch mauilla rope, about 
5 fathoms long, the bight of which is secured to a stout rope collar on the 
lower part of the dummy. The ends of this rope are wound around 
the trawl-warp in opposite directions, over and under, so as to cross and 
overlap at each turn,. which is the ordinary way of putting on a rope 
stopper, and one end is fastened to the hawser with a piece of small rope, 
called a “ nettle.” (See Fig. 13, page 328.) When this is done the rope 
nipper behind the dummy is cast off’, and the turns of the trawl-warp 
slackened up — sometimes they are taken off the dummy altogether — so 
that the strain all comes on the stopper. The purpose of the stopper is 
to save the warp in case the trawl catches on the bottom ; for being a 
this is invariably done by the Hull and Grimsby men. In describing the shooting of 
a trawl he says : “ The lowering is thus managed: The fore bridle is first slacked 
away until that end of the beam is well clear and stands out at a considerable angle 
from the vessel, the after part being still kept in place by the dandy bridle, which 
comes in over the tafffail to the small stern windlass or dandy wink by which it is 
worked. This rope is then slacked away till the whole beam is in the water, and the 
inner end of the rope is brought forward to be made fast to the warp, just above the 
shackle, till it is again wanted, when the beam has to be hoisted up. The beam is 
now held by the two parts of the main bridle, and they are slowly paid out till it 
hangs evenly from them ; if the whole gear be then in proper position more way is 
got on the vessel and the warp given out so as to allow the trawl to sink to the bot- 
tom, which, as the vessel is under way, it will do at some distance astern,” 
