CATCHING & TUCKING FISH IN SHALLOW WA
Year: 1885

page_text: he fish may be immediately tucked or tow the net with the fish enclosed to a
JOSEPH NICHOLLS Fisherman Cadgwith Ruan Minor R.S.O. Cornwall I do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for CATCHING & TUCKING FISH IN DEEP OR
SHALLOW WATER, to be as follows:-
This net is floated by buoys at the top. The top sides & bottom of the net are
covered with netting; the bottom part being longer than the top. The net has
a long deep mouth, and when this is closed the fish can swim around in the net
but are unable to get out.
The fish may be immediately tucked or tow the net with the fish enclosed to a
place or safety.
This net can be made of any length and when the mouth is closed it is some
fathoms deep within. The net is well strengthened with ropes to take all strain
& has a bridle at each end of the mouth. It can also be raised or lowered from
the surface as required for fishing.
MODES OF FISHING.
1st. For deep sea -It should be in tow and will fish from 1 to 11 fathoms below
the surface. The bottom of the net is ahead of the top-part; and as soon as fish
are discovered in the net, the foot-rope is hauled to the surface by the bottom-
bridles and attached to the head-rope.
place of
The mouth is then closed and if the quantity of fish is not too great, they may
be tucked on board the crafts at once; or, otherwise, tow the net to a.)
safety.
2nd. For shoals of fish passing along shore :-It should be moored, or in tow,
with the mouth against the fish the depth they are passing, and should be watched
by men in two boats, one at each end of the mouth. As soon as they discover
a shoal in the net, or close to the first row of buoys, (the fish then being over the
bottom-part) the footrope should be hauled to the surface by the bridles, thus
securing all the fish within.
3rd. It can be used for hauling on shore on sandy beaches. It is also very
useful for taking fish out of long pilchard or mackerel-seines, at any time of tide.

page_text: 4th. I contend it can be used as a trawl by reducing the number of buoys and
by letting the bottom of the net scrape the bottom of the sea. By letting the
mouth of the net open two or three fathoms it would have an advantage over beam
trawls which only fish about three feet above the bottom of the sea.
5th. The fish, when caught, can be kept alive in this net without injuring them.
They can be taken out of the net in such quantities as are required for the markets,
the remainder being left in the net. In this way the most is made of the fish.
As this net tucks its own fish it can be worked at a considerable less cost than
the present system of pilchard and mackerel fishing. I have tried a small one
about nine fathoms long and seven deep. When moored in the sea I have caught
pilchard, bream, pollock, &c, in it,
Dated this 95th day of November 100k

page_text: JOSEPH NICHOLLS Fisherman Cadgwith Ruan Minor R.S.O. Cornwall I do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for CATCHING AND TUCKING FISH IN DEEP SEA
OR SHALLOW WATER, BAYS AND RIVERS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Net is floated by rows of buoys C at the surface of the Water. The Top,
sides, and bottom of the Net are covered with Netting O with an arm on each
bridle A B. The Bottom part of the Net is longer than the Top-The Net has
a long deep mouth, and when this is closed the fish can swim around in the Net,
but are unable to get out. The fish may be immediately tucked or tow the
Net with the fish enclosed to a place of safety. This Net can be made of any size
and when the Mouth is closed it is some fatboms deep within. The Net is well
strengthened with Ropes P to take the strain, and has a bridle A. B. at each end of
the mouth for the purpose of towing or mooring the Net. It can also be raised or
lowered from the Surface as required for fishing by means of the buoy C ropes.
The mouth is kept open by leads D attached to the foot rope Land buoys C
fastened to the head ropes H.
MODES OF FISHING.
1st. For Shoals or other fish in Deep Sea it should be in tow by two crafts or
more, and it can be set to fish at any depth below the surface. For Shoals of fish
the bottom of the Net should be some fathoms ahead of the top part, which is
done by shortening the foot rope bridles B As soon as fish are discovered in
the Net or close to the first row of buoys C the fish being then over the bottom
part of the Net, the mouth is closed by hauling the foot rope at the mouth L to
the surface by the foot rope bridles B The foot rope L is then attached to the
head rope H, and the fish are secured. If the quantity of fish is not too great
they can be tucked on board the Crafts at once, or otherwise the Net must be
towed to a place of safety.
2nd. For Shoals or other fish passing along shore the Net should be moored or
in tow with the mouth against the fish the depth they are passing, and should be
watched by men in the boats one at each end of the mouth, and as soon as they
discover a Shoal in the Net or close to the first row of buoys C the mouth is closed
and the fish secured as above described.
3rd. It can be used for hauling on Shore on sandy beaches, or the fish may be
taken out of the Net at any time without hauling or taking the Net out of the
Water.
4th. The Net can also be used for taking fish out of long Pilchard or other Seines
at any time of tide.
5th. It can be used for trawling by reducing the number of buoys C and by
letting the bottom L of the Net scrape the bottom of the sea. By letting the
mouth of the Net open two or three fathoms it would have an advantage over
Beam Trawls which only fish about three feet above the bottom of the Sea, For

page_text: Trawling the top part of the Net should be a little ahead of the bottom. This is
done by shortening the head rope bridles A, or lengthening the foot rope bridles B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. That the Bag Fishing Net offers a New System and Principle of Fishing,
differing in Shape and Construction from any other Seine Net that I know of, and
it is so made that it can be used for catching and tucking fish in any depth of
Water, Bays or Rivers, either in tow or moored, whereas the present System
of Seine Fishing is confined to particular places in shallow water, and a Second
Seine has to be used for tucking the fish and if the bottom of the sea is rocky, the
fish very often are lost.
2. When the mouth is closed, the fish can be kept alive some time in this Net,
and they can be taken out of the Net at any time in such quantities as are
required In this way the most is made of the Fish.
3. As this Net tucks its own fish, it can be worked at a considerable less cost
than the present system of Seine Fishing.