AN IMPROVED, METHOD OF CAPTURING SALMON AND OTHER FISH IN RIVERS AND INLAND WATERS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:left by Shakelton Edward Hallett at the
: Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
May 1867:
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I, SHAKELTON EDWARD HALLETT, of The Honorable Society of Lincoln's
Inn, London, and 31, Bedford Place, W.C., Esquire, Barrister-at-Law, the
Director-General of the Imperial Company of Fisherman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED, METHOD OF CAPTURING
SALMON AND OTHER FISH IN RIVERS AND INLAND WATERS," to be as follows:-
Before constructing my 'nets for the purpose of fishing in any river or
water I carefully survey the river or water and 'find out the average width
and depth of the river or water, and whether the bottom is sandy,, muddy, or
rocky and otherwise foul; having ascertained these matters I construct my
nets accordingly, my object being as far as possible to construct my nets so that
when in the water they shall where the bottom is muddy or sandy be about
two inches from the bottom, and where the bottom is rocky about from one to
two feet clear of the bottom. I sink beneath the surface of the water a
platform of network of a triangular, or semicircular shape; the mouth or broad
part of this sunken platform is left open for the entrance of fish upon it. To.
the sides of the,sunken platform I attach by means of lacing a "walling" or
"leader" of network of a depth suitable to the river which hangs straight
down in the water, being, supported at the surface of the water by means of
Cork's and buoys, and being weighted or sunk at its lower part where it is

page_text: connected with the sunken platform by nieans of a lead line, chains, or other
weighty substances. To the mouth or broadest portion of the sunken
platform I attach a weighted line or chain, and run a lightly leaded line or
chain through the centre of the sunken platform, thereby overcoming any
At the end of the platform
floating properties that may exist in the network.
I join en, by lacing to the "wallings" and "the sunken platform," a smaller
triangular platform of network, that is to say, of one-fourth the width at the
mouth or entrance of the original platform, mouth, or entrance, but of a
length equal in extent to the width at the mouth of the first or original
platform; at the entrance to this smaller 'sunken platform I place or fit two
pockets similar to those used in beam trawls, with the exception that they
are uncovered with network at the surface of the water, but have in place
thereof two small buoy ropes which keep and maintain them level with the
surface of the water; these pockets are formed by lacing upwards from the
sunken platform to the buoy ropes at the surface of the water, beginning at
the outer edge and gradually working towards the middle and small end of
the net; the mouth of the pocket, that is where the lacing stops, therefor faces
any fish that may have passed between them into the "cod" or extreme end
of the net, and escape being impossible at the "cod "end many of the fish
swim in a sort of back water into the pockets until they are stopped by the
narrow closed extremities. At the "cod" end or extreme end of the net I
place for the last four yards a covering of network at the surface of the water;
this covering I buoy well with corks, and the fish are thereby prevented fron
leaping over the buoy line at the extreme end of the net which they might
otherwise attempt to do. At the cod end or the extreme end of the net I
attach by a slip or other knot a line of a length proportional to the depth
of the stream; to one end of this line I attach a buoy of wood, hollow glass,
or metal; this buoy must contain a large quantity of air, and it must of
course be in proportion to the size of the net and the weight of the tailing
--stone-;-to-the-other-end-of-the-rope-I-attach-a-drag-or-tailing-stone. Where
the bottom of the stream is sandy, gravelly, muddy, or pebbly a common
round or square stone of suitable weight may be used, the weight being so
proportioned as effectually to prevent the too rapid motion of the net, while
at the same time slow motion is permitted; where the bottom is rocky or
where artificial obstruction of any kind exists in the bottom of the stream, or
where from any reason the fisherman is uncertain of what material the bottom
of the stream or river consists, there a tailing iron should be used of the
description following, or the too rapid progress of the purse should be retarded
in the manner herein-after described. The tailing iron I prefer to use is in

page_text: the shape of an ordinary sewing needle, that is to say, broad at the head.
through which the buoy rope would pass and tapering at the end to a point;
in other words I adopt a needle on a large scale; the weight and size of this?
tailing iron will depend entirely upon the size of the net and the depth of the
stream, but in all instances the buoy line and tailing iron.must be so adjusted:
that the tailing iron should touch the ground in an inclined position, but.
the rope should never be so slack that the iron should lie at full length or
stretch upon the bottom, as in the latter case the iron would catch in the rocks.
and the net would become anchored. The tailing iron should average from 3
to 6 feet in length, but the precise weight, and length of the tailing irons.
and stones will in all cases depend upon the size of the net, the force of the
current, and other ordinary circumstances which can only be ascertained in the.
different fishing localities, but when ascertained any master fisherman of ordinary:
capacity will be able after experiment to decide upon the proper weight of the
tailing stone or iron and of the requisite length of the buoy rore, regard being
had to the rule before laid down, viz., that the tailing stone should merely
check the too rapid motion of the net, but should not be used of such excessive
weight as to anchor it: Where the force of the current is very great the
purse or pocket portion of the net may be kept distended by means of laths
of ash or hickory, or hoops of ash, or by a framework of whalebone, iron, or
other metal; and in all cases it would be advisable to place laths or hoops of
ash at the mouths of the pockets to prevent the same becoming closed against
the entrance of fish, and in addition to these braces or lines should be carried
from the sides of the inner mouths of the "pockets" to the sides of the net
walling;-by-which-means the mouths of the pockets will be kept open; where
additional drag power is required light tailing stones or irons, that is to say,
lighter than the tailing stone in use at the extreme end of the net, may be
attached at intervals of 2 yards or more to the sides of the purse, that is to
say, to buoy ropes attached to the buoy ropes running along the length of the
purse or inner platform; tailing stones may also be attached to the "walling"
or "leaders" of the outer platform. When through any cause the use of a
tailing stone or iron shall be considered unadvisable the "cod" or extreme
end of the net may be-kept in position by persons rowing against the stream,
that is to say, rowing up the river (these nets being fished down and with
the stream), and having a rope attached to the buoy rope of the end of the
purse they can by pulling on this rope when desirable check the too rapid
motion of the net. Where this plau should not be deemed practicable or:
advisable the object in view may be attained by stationing two persons one on³
each bank of the river with lines connected with the end of the purse in their

page_text: respective hands, and with orders, to check the purse by pulling on their lines
wben desirable, but enjoining them always to keep themselves in slow or quick
motion, as may be desirable, so as to permit the net to go slowly down the
stream with the purse full and open. These nets are intended only to be fished.
with the current or stream, not against the current or stream, and the object
of this Invention is to furnish the fisherman with a 'moving engine in the
nature of a floating bag net or weir, thereby placing the public fisherman on.
an equal footing with the proprietors of fixed bag nets and weirs:::.
The method in which this net is fished is as follows:-The net, is, fished by:
two boats which keep the net evenly stretched between them, the side's or ends
of the wallings being respectively attached to the ropes by the ordinary.draught
net tackling, the two boats keep the net in the stream of the river. where the
greatest run of fish will usually be met with; they tow the net gently and,
slowly after them, taking care to keep the net well stretched; while at the same
time tlie, lead line at the mouth of the sunken platform is well sunk, in the
river; the fish will, then swim right into the net, when once over the platform
there is virtually no chance. of their escape as the nature of the salmon in
fresh water is always to go forwards; he cannot get under the net as the
platform is beneath him, he cannot get out at the sides as the walling is before
him, he goes therefore through the pockets into the purse, where escape is
hopeless, and the fisherman may extract him at his leisure.. The size of these,
nets will depend upon the means of the fishermen and the width and depth of
the river. In forming them I make the purse of a length equal to the extreme
breadth of the outer sunken platform.
I do not confine, myself in this Invention to the above form of nets, any bag
net of a movable nature may be fished after the manner described, for instance,
an, ordinary draught net might in a gravelly stream be used with a purse
with pockets in its centre, the purse, being supported with corks or a floating
crib, such as those used in weirs, but covered with network, and having leaders
on both sides might be used, but the net above described will, I believe, answer
the purpose better.
I claim by this Invention the sole use of all movable bag nets fishing by
motion and not by fixture, and fishing with the current or stream of any river
or inland water.
I claim the sole use of all salmon nets having purses or fished with pockets,
which nets shall be fished with the stream of any river not after the manner
of draught-nets or sweep nets, but in the manner described in this Invention,
and that too,whether they be towed by: one boat or by two boats.
I have claimed by a Provisional Specification. of even date herewith the

page_text: sole use of all nets fished with a sunken platform of network, as herein
described. When in the place of tailing stones or irons boats are used to
keep the end of the purse stretched by rowing against the stream as herein
described, these boats are not to be rowed with such force that actual way
shall be made against the stream, but they are merely to be rowed with such
force as will prevent their too rapid motion down the stream which they are
to descend by slow degrees with the net. The mesh used should be the
ordinary legal mesh. I prepare all my nets by steeping them in boiled linseed
oil; they thereby become more durable, and are less likely to be observed by
the fish, especially in muddy streams.
I claim the use of all cribs or floating weirs formed of wood or iron or
other metal and covered with network, which floating cribs or weirs shall be
fished with the stream, and which floating crib or weir shall be fished or kept
in position by means of any of the devices described in this Specification, and
which cribs or weirs shall be fished by motion and not by fixture, that is to
say, shall move while fishing and shall not be permanently fixed to the soil of
the river or water. Where the current or stream is very powerful or rapid
a bag may be used constructed of metallic network on a wooden or metallic
framework; this bag or purse can either be used separately or in connection
with leaders or a sunken platform as herein described.