Wooden 'trow' or longline box

Date made: 1988

Place made: Douglas

Description: A replica example of a 'trow', a wooden box used to hold a coiled-up longline fishing line on a fishing boat. The 'trow' contains a replica of a handmade horsehair longline fishing line and was made by Athol Wilson, as an example of the fishing equipment used when he was a young man.

The box is made with one open end for the longline to uncoil smoothly as it is cast out from the back of the fishing boat. The 'trow' is handmade from pine planking and has a rope handle on one end. The box also has 2 holes and 2 small holes on sides to feed a rope through to secure the coil of longline fishing line when in use.

Longline fishing was predominantly for cod during the winter months, but longline fishing might also be for herring and mackerel. The cod line could be up to a mile in length, with hundreds of fishing hooks attached to the main lline by short lengths or 'snoods' of horsehair fishing line. The hooks would be baited with 'buckies' or whelks and the line would be need to be untangled , rebaited and recoiled everyday. Originally longline boats would be rowed out to the fishing grounds and even later vessels with sails would need to be rowed if there was no wind. Longline fishing stopped in Peel in the 1930s but continued slightly longer in Ramsey.

Measurements: overall: 68 x 49 x 11 cm

Materials: animal, pine

Object name: box

Collection: Social History Collection

ID Number: 1988-0651

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