Page 66 - The Ashley Book of Knots

OCCUPATIONAL KNOTS

352. This illustrates a small surface trawl, which in principle does

not differ from the large trawl of the professional fisherman. For an

•
. amateur a I 50-foot length will provide plenty of interest and sport. -

• ';0:" . •
The gangings ('II: 276) should be about four feet apart, with ordinary _;rba, ~ ,.

disk-shaped cork floats in between. Tie OVERHAND KNOTS ('II: 515) at . .!:: ..

each side of the floats. Every fourth line should be an anchor line

about twenty feet long. Set the trawl in a tideway, bait with squid or

any shiny fish, and visit it at each tide. If set from shore, only one

marker buoy is required, and the apparatus is termed a "trot."

353. A ground trawl is similarly made, with slingstones ('II: 271-

273) between every three or four hooks. Markers are required at

the ends. Set at low water and pull at the next tide.

354. Small FISHLINE SPLICE. Either ravel or unravel the ends of a

braided line with a pin or fishhook one half inch to one and one

quarter inches, depending on the size of the line. Divide the threads

of each end into three equal parts. Scrape each group to a point and

wax each point or strand thoroughly. Marry the two ends so that

the tips overlap the unraveled parts of the lines slightly, as shown in

the first illustration. Wax and middle a piece of fine silk thread. Tie ... ..

a CONSTRICTOR KNOT ('II: I 249) with the central section of it around

the center of the splice and draw the knot taut. Grip the right half
\ .. ~~

of the splice in a vise. Twist the left half of the splice strongly away -

from you, and serve tightly toward you with one end of the silk

thread. Serve the whole end and then finish off as illustrated in the

lower diagram. Next turn the splice end for end and repeat the first 353

performance with the second end. The size of the thread is exagger-

ated in the illustrations. Some anglers consider it sufficient to lay the

two waxed and tapered ends together and serve without either mar-

rying or twisting. Finished splices should be varnished, but if made

in the open, and to be used at once, grease with bacon fat, butter, or 35'4

whatever else your lunch provides. A laid line may be spliced in the

same wav, or else with a SAILOR'S SPLICE (#2635), in which case the

•
strands must be opened for several inches before marrying so that they

can be threaded on needles, or else they can be tucked by pulling the

ends through with J small hairpin.

355. If double gangings with two hooks are used as shown in 'II: 352

they may be secured with a CONSTRICTOR KNOT ('II: 1249), which is

more secure than a CLOVE HITCH ('II: I 177) or a RING HITCH ('II: 1859).

356. There are many different traps devised for fishing through

the ice. The one given here is characteristic. It consists of a flat ex- 35+

tensible spring at the top, with flag attached. When the flag flies high

a fish is indicated. Formerly there was no limit to the number of traps

allowed, and I have seen five hundred of them set at one time by

three fishermen in a Massachusetts pond. But now in the same locality

the limit is ten traps to the individual. The preferred baits are "shiner"

and "mummychog," or "mumper." Pickerel and red perch will make

up the bulk of the catch.

35'6 r •.. '"
•