Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/258

248 FISHERIES [ENGLISH. date, however, the fish went into consumption at once, i.istead of being sent one or two hundred miles before it reached the consumer. The increased demand for fish of late years has led to the building of trawlers of the best description, as remarkable for their fast sailing as for other improved qualities. There is racing home now from the fishing grounds to catch the first of the market, and every thing is done as quickly as possible to ensure quick dis tribution and delivery all over the country. The cost of the vessels has of course largely increased, not only from their greater size, but also because of the much higher price now paid for everything used iu their construction. In 1862 a new trawl vessel, and what was at that time considered one ef the larger class, could be built and fitted out ready for sea for .700 or 800 ; but it costs from 1200 to 1300 to turn out one of the vessels now com monly used in the North Sea fishery. This includes a supply of everything necessary for fishing, costing about 70 or 80. A proper fit-out consists of a double set of almost every part of the gear, so as to provide against accidents, and generally to save the time which would be lost if the trawler were obliged to return to port before he had done a fair quantity of work. A trawl-net will perhaps last from two to four months, according to the nature of the ground worked upon ; but during that time parts of it will have to be renewed. The back of the net, being exposed to the least wear, lasts the longest ; the under part will generally require renewing twice, and the cod or purse five or six times, before the net is finally con demned. The additional size now given to the trawl- vessels has led to an alteration in the manner in which they are rigged. The term " smack " has been for a long time applied to those trading and fishing craft which were cutter rigged, and until quite recent years all the trawlers were known as trawl-smacks. It was a convenient rig ; tho single mast was stepped well forward so as to allow of a large and powerful mainsail, ot the same time giving plenty of free space on deck for getting in the net, and stowing it and the long trawl-beam on the top of the bulwark when not at work. But when the size of the vessels was increased to 70 or 80 tons, it was found that the mainsail, enlarged in proportion, wanted a good deal more looking after in bad weather than was convenient, and the heavier main-boom caused a great deal of straining. More hands became necessary on this account than were required for ordinary fishing purposes, and the increased expenses interfered with profitable working. The new trawl-boats were therefore built of greater length, so as to provide room for a small second mast or mizen on which a gaff-sail could be carried, and thus something could be taken off the large mainsail. The result has been very satisfactory ; just as much sail is carried as before, but it is not so lofty, and being divided into smaller pieces, it can be handled with greater ease and safety. As a gaff-sail is carried on the mizen, the rig is that of a ketch ; had a lug-sail been used instead of a gaff-sail, the vessel would have been what is called "dandy-rigged." The increased length of the vessel in proportion to her size gives many advantages. Space is provided for packing away a considerable quantity ot ice, which is a very necessary article in the present mode of working the North Sea trawl fishery; the produce of many fishing days can be properly stowed away and preserved in good condition, and the crew have more roomy and comfortable accommodation, a point of importance, since at certain seasons they remain at sea for several weeks at a time. B.irking. "Barking " the sails is a regular practice with the traw lers, as it is with most other fishermen in England and Scotland, The process consists in mopping them over with a composition of a solution of oak-bark, tar, grease, and ochre, which acts as a good preservative of the canvas. This is done once in six or eight weeks, and a suitable place is kept for the purpose at all the important fishing stations. Working the beam-trawl requires some little skill which Working can only be acquired by experience at sea. A knowledge tlic of the ground and of the direction and times of the tide is tr;nvl - essential ; for the trawl is towed with the stream, a little faster than it is running, so that there may be just sufficient resistance from the water to expand the net. If it wero towed too fast, the pressure of the water against the long transverse beam would tend to lift it from the ground, and then the fish would not enter the net. This important point is regulated by a nice adjustment of the length ot" tow-rope to the force of the wind and state of the sea ; and experience enables the fisherman to tell, by pressing the hand firmly on the warp between the vessel and the water, whether or not the trawl is working steadily over tha ground. Lowering the trawl to the bottom is also a matter requiring great care, so that it may reach the ground with the beam above the iron heads and the ground-rope in its proper position bslow. This can only be managed by first getting the whole apparatus in a proper position at the surface, and then keeping the vessel slowly moving through the water whilst the lowering takes place. If, as sometimes happens in spite of all precautions, the net and beam should twist round while being lowered, and the apparatus should reach the bottom with its back downwards, then the beam would be on the ground and the iron supports above, the mouth of the net would close, and no good could be done with it. The only thing for the fishermen to do under such circumstances is to haul up the trawl and shoot it again. The popular idea that the beam is always drag ging on the ground is therefore a mistaken one. The trawl is shot at the beginning of the tide, so that it may be towed for five or six hours, and during that time it will probably pass over from fifteen to twenty miles of ground. As trawlers when engaged in fishing are practically anchored by their trawls, they cannot readily get out of the way of vessels meeting them, and the law admits this view of the case by obliging them at night to carry a single mast-head light as an anchor light, instead of the regulation red and green side-lights for vessels under sail. When the tide has finished, or the smack has reached the end of its fishing ground, the trawl is hauled up by a winch or capstan. This seldom takes less than three-quarters of an hour iu fine weather, and two or three hours if it be rough. The beam is got alongside, and hoisted up and secured; then the net is gathered in, the cod or end of tho bag being hoisted in by a tackle, and the cod-rope closing the end being cast off. the whole catch of fish fulls out on deck. The fish are immediately sorted and packed away, and the fishermen prepare for another haul, according to the state of the wind and tide. 1 Trawl-fish are separated for market purposes into two Yam-ties great classes, known respectively as " prime " and " offal." of lr;iw Prime includes turbot, brill, soles, dories, and red mullet, the last being caught in large numbers in summer, especially by the Brixham trawlers. Offal is the name given to plaice, haddocks, whiting, and other kinds of inferior fishes which are caught in great abundance, and usually sell at a low price. The term "offal" was applied to these fish at a time when railways had not come into existence, and purchasers frequently could not be found for the quantity of fish the trawlers would bring to market in one day. This was especially the case with plaice and haddocks when the newly discovered fishing grounds in 1 Fuller details of the mode of working the beam-trawl v/ill bo found in Deep Sea Fishing and Finking Uoaty, Loudon, 1874.