340 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
(d). To catch the Vessel around with a Weather Tide. 
To perform this evolution he says: <4 I should let the vessel settle up 
to windward of the gear by lashiug the helm half a-lee, trim the sheets 
'well aft $ she will then bring the trawl- warp across the stern, which will 
ultimately cause the vessel to come round on the other tack. 1 would 
then trim the sails immediately and lash the helm a-lee. This can only 
be done in fine weather.” 
5. To Prevent a Vessel from Catching Around, 
when towing with weather tide and light wind, and the smack is to 
windward of her gear, Olsen says: “I should bring the guy aft on the 
lee-quarter, pass it round the stern, and make it fast to the trawl- warp, 
heave taut with the capstan, slack the trawl- warp, and tow with a guy 
under the lee.” 1 
6. The Working of a Trawl. 
The methods of shooting a beam-trawl, and of managing it when out, 
having been discussed, it seems desirable and proper that something 
should be said of the action or working of a trawl on the bottom before 
a description is given of how it is hove up, etc. 
From what has been said of the trawl it will be obvious that this im- 
plement is designed more especially for the capture of such fish as keep 
near the bottom and which are generally denominated “ ground fish.’? 
Among these various species of flat-fish— several of which are the most 
highly prized of the European sea fishes — are perhaps more easily and 
surely caught by a beam-trawl than in any other way. 
u With rare exceptions all the soles, turbot, and plaice brought to 
market are caught by the trawl. The various kinds of skate or ray 
are also obtained by the same means 5 and notwithstanding the pecu- 
liar habits of "all these fish there is very little chance of their escaping 
when once the trawl beam has passed over their heads.” 2 
The movement of the trawl through the water, when it is being towed, 
keeps the net distended and the back raised some distance from the 
ground, and as it is traveling with the tide, and the natural tendency 
of fish is to head the current, it follows that they are liable to be fright- 
ened, when their first impulse would doubtless be to attempt an escape 
by darting in the direction they were heading 5 this action on their 
part would take them directly into the cod-end. 
u Should the fish, however, by any chance turn around and dart 
towards the mouth of the net, there would probably be a considerable 
distance to go before they would be clear, for the ground-rope sweeps 
the bottom from the foot of the two head-irons to a distance of 40 or 
50 feet backwards to the bosom of the net, and this whole space is in- 
1 Fisherman’s Seamanship, pp. 31-32. 
3 Deep-sea Fishing and Fishing Boats, p. 74. 
