THE HERRING FISHERY. 
51 
which is properly seining. In a few instances moored nets are 
used, but not to any large extent. 
Drifting is the principal method. The length and depth of 
the net, and also the size of the mesh, are not quite uniform. 
Fishermen from different parts, both in England and Scotland, 
act on their own judgment in this particular. The Scotchmen 
generally have their net braided 60 yards long, and about 350 
to 400 meshes deep, 32 to 40 meshes to the yard. 
On the east coast of England, among Yarmouth and Lowestoft 
fishermen, the ordinary net is from 18 to 22 yards on the rope — 
that is after it is fixed to what is called the back rope, having 
usually 280 to 240 meshes in depth, 30 meshes to the yard. In 
the West of England, among the Devon and Cornwall fishermen, 
the herring net is more akin to the Scotch nets. 
The number of nets used depends on the size of the boats. 
From 40 to 60 nets are used among the Scotch men, whilst the 
Yarmouth and Lowestoft boats carry from 120 to 180 nets, so 
that 140 may be considered a fair average. The nets are all 
made of cotton, though formerly hemp was commonly in use. 
The nets are attached together by stops up and down the 
selvage, and by stops at the ends of the back rope, secured 
along the top to the back rope by a nozzle or nossal. Along 
the back line, or head line, pieces of cork are attached. To the 
back line again large bowls and buoys are secured at certain 
regular distances, to keep the net from sinking deeper than is 
required. The whole is then secured by pieces of rope called 
stops, or straps, fastened to the back line by one end, the other 
part being fastened to the foot-rope or warp. 
The warp is principally used for hauling the nets on board, and 
runs along the whole length of the nets. The outer end of the 
warp is fastened to the first net put over the boat's side, and 
is simultaneously put into the sea with the nets, and so fastened 
by these strops, as net after net is being shot. When the entire 
fleet is out, the boat is secured by the rope to the nets ; and the 
boat, with the nets, is allowed to drive by tide and wind whither 
she will, till the skipper in his judgment gives orders to get the 
nets on board. 
Generally, as the nets are being hauled on board, the fish are 
shook out, and allowed to drop into the hold of the boat, called 
the fish-room ; and according to circumstances, incidental to the 
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