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leger-line, also, Atherine and Coal-fish, and in some places off steep rocks, Sea-Bream, Mackerel, and Horse-Mackerel or Scad. On trots or bulters, every kind of ground-fish, including Turbot; and on the floating-trot, Pollack and Gar-fish, and sometimes Bass. Every variety of fish found in the British seas is taken at some time or other in nets; and the Flounder and Eels by spearing. The Grey Mullet, although very abundant round our southern coasts, are seldom taken in any quantity with rod and line. The exceptional places which have come to my knowledge are Dover, Southampton, Plymouth, Penzance, Jersey, and near Bideford, and Barnstaple, at all of which excellent catches are occasionally made. They are rarely taken by spearing, this amusement being more followed in warm climates, particularly in the Mediterranean, where it is carried on by torchlight. The Bonita, Dolphin, Albicore, and King-fish are often struck with the 'Grains' in warm latitudes; and the harpoon is brought into requisition for the Shark, the Porpoise, and the Whale. The Shark, as is well known, is also often taken with a chain-hook, and is sometimes noosed in a bowline-knot, being coaxed to swim through it by a bait held in front. The chain must have a very strong

swivel at the top.

THE POSSIBLE BAG

is very useful for travellers, who naturally wish to add as little as possible to their impedimenta. Let it contain a brass tobacco-box, with loose hooks and swivels, two or three hanks of snooding wound on cotton reels, a hank of gut, also a skein of thread, and a bit of shoemaker's wax in leather. These and some other matters the sea-side visitor will find mentioned under Gear or Tackle required in Sea-fishing,' pp. 12 and 13, for carrying which the bag is very useful.

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SHIFTING LEADS FOR SEA-SIDE VISITORS.

Some kinds of ground-fishing leads are not calculated from their shape for railing or towing after a boat, but railing or reeling plummets may be used for ground-fishing, especially in

the Kentish Rig (fig. 3, p. 38). The object in shifting is to avoid the weight of two sets of leads for sea-side visitors, and the exchange of chopsticks and snoodings as well as the strops is soon effected by casting off the line from the strops, drawing off the chopsticks, and substituting the other strop with the required chopstick and snood for the first form of gear, when the line is to be bent on as before.

Each form of gear must be in itself complete, having its own strop, for the Kentish Rig requires a double strop, the railing or reeling gear a single one, and a single strop would allow too much play to the Kentish Rig, whilst the double strop would be too large to pass through the hole of the reeling chopstick. See cuts, fig. 3, p. 38, and fig. 39, p. 124.

SEA-FISHING AND HYDROGRAPHY.

As the nature of the soundings generally determines the kind of fish to be taken off any coast, an acquaintance with local Hydrography will be of great service in the absence of information which the old hands alone possess, and are sometimes rather chary of affording to strangers. I need not inform the experienced that Pollack are found off the rocky points and on or close to foul ground, Whiting usually on soft ground, and Dabs on both oozy bottoms and hard sand, Mullet and Sand-Smelts at the mouth of streams or drains, &c. ; but to all, whether previously well acquainted with general sea-fishing or not, I strongly recommend the purchase of the chart or plan of that particular harbour, arm of the sea, or section of coast they may visit, on as large a scale as possible, as a useful preliminary to the acquisition of the necessary local knowledge. The Admiralty charts are recommended, and are sold by Mr. J. D. Potter, 31 Poultry, and Mr. E. Stanford, Charing Cross. They run from one to four shillings each, according to extent. For a certain kind of information you must rely on residents of the locality, such as the time of tide to fish certain spots, where

to procure bait, and the very precise marks at times requisite for Pout-fishing. This, however, should not prevent your informing yourself as to the general features of the harbour, coast-line, and offing, which the chart or plan will afford, thus gradually rendering you independent of external aid, and bringing you acquainted with various ground which might otherwise escape your notice. Let us suppose a stranger visiting Plymouth, tolerably acquainted with sea-fishing and desirous of taking Pollack; on referring to his chart, he will find many suitable grounds, namely, for shore-fishing in the east corner of Millbay, at the mouth of the stream for Smelts, off the pier or pontoon for Pollack and Mullet, and at Flat Rock for Pollack on flowing tide.

The entrance gates of the Great Western Docks are much frequented for Grey Mullet angling.

For boat-fishing, round the Cobbler Buoy at the entrance of Catwater, either whiffing or moored, for Pollack; and other places too numerous to mention. (See Plymouth, p. 22.)

The advantages of an intimate acquaintance with local charts are incalculable, for having first made yourself acquainted with the habits of fish, you will thereby be enabled to determine their haunts.

GEAR OR TAckle RequireD IN SEA-FISHING.

This varies much in different localities; instead therefore of giving a long list of articles, I shall just mention a few lines which will be useful everywhere, leaving my readers to gather from the following pages what will meet their requirements, according to the kinds of fish of which they may go in quest. The few following lines &c. are far from expensive, and may be obtained from any sea-fishing tackle manufacturers. The materials of sea-fishing gear, viz. lines, snoods, and hooks, can be purchased at almost all sea-side towns and villages, but places where really good gear is sold ready fitted for use are yet very few and far between, practical information on this subject being far from as widely diffused as is desirable.

The amateur had better therefore provide two lines for

ground-fishing, one with a sinker of one pound, and another with a sinker of two pounds' weight, either of the boat-shape (fig. 7, p. 42), or Kentish Rig (fig. 3, p. 38). Also a pair of two-pound Mackerel leads, with two fine Whiting lines, each thirty fathoms, on reels six inches by five, for convenience in packing. The lines can be attached to either the Mackerel plummets or ground leads and shifted at pleasure, a great convenience for tourists; but residents have each line for its own work generally-much the preferable method of the two. few spare snoods, a hank of strong gut, twenty-five white tinned hooks, No. 11, for either Pollack or Mackerel; twenty-five No. 13, for Pout, Dabs, or Flounders. (See the cut of hooks, fig. 63, p. 211). Two horse-hair lines, lightly leaded, as described under 'Pollack,' on reels, six inches by five, for drift-fishing for either Pollack, Mackerel, or Sea-Bream, which may also be used whiffing under oars, but not under sail from the great risk of breakage. The two first-mentioned lines, intended to answer a double purpose, should be of two strands only, and marked at the required length, as described under 'Mackerel.' The stock of lines &c. can always be increased as the fisherman becomes familiar with his sport, which will be a better course than encumbering himself with a large quantity of gear which he may not require at the locality he may visit.

THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF ENGLAND, CHANNEL
ISLANDS, &C.

In the present article I have mentioned places with which I am personally familiar on portions of our coasts, where all the various methods of taking fish in the British and in many foreign waters, are in practice.

Portsmouth.-Reeling or sailing for Mackerel is much followed by the Gosport fishermen in June, July, August, and September, at the east end of the Isle of Wight, near the Nab Light Ship, opposite Bembridge, which is as near to Portsmouth as any luck can be expected, as it is quite an exception to take any number of Mackerel closer to the shore.

Whiting-Pout near the Buoy of the Boyne, outside South

sea Castle and in various other spots. In the harbour at the moorings of the 'Boys' Brig,' but here usually they are very small.

Whiting at Spithead, likewise small as compared with fish farther west: Bass are sometimes taken off Blockhouse Point Beach by line, and by shooting a trot in the mouth of Haslar Creek. Best bait, Cuttle-fish. Sand-Smelts in Portsmouth Harbour.

Isle of Wight.-Whiting-Pollack (here called WhitingCole) off Sea-View, near Bembridge Ledge, and also off other rocky points at the back of the Isle of Wight, with Mackerel anywhere off the last mentioned in the summer months. Good long-lining or trotting off Sea-View, lug-worms abundant. A Sand-Eel seine is kept at Sandown, but is seldom used after July.

Bass at the mouth

The Solent. The fishing in the Solent is not of much account at the present day, whatever it might have been formerly, and consists of some Pouting and Whiting catching, and trotting for small Conger &c., with Smelt-Fishing, in the various rivers emptying themselves therein, in which also Flounders, Eels, and Mullet will be found. of Lymington Creek, and other harbours. Southampton.-Sand-Smelts and Mullet from piers and quays on the Itchen River. merous but small, at the lower portion of Southampton Water and near the Bramble Shoal; also off Hythe. Trawling in Southampton Water. Many fine Eels are taken both by hook and line, bobbing and spearing. No bait is equal to the soft Crab for line-fishing, for Eels and Flounders in a tideway.

in the docks and Whiting very nu

Christchurch and Poole.-Christchurch Bay affords Mackerel-fishing, which may be understood to be almost universal on the coast westwards during the summer months, and the rocky ground of Christchurch Ledge will furnish Whiting-Cole; in this and Poole harbours, Sand-Smelts are very numerous, with Eels, Flounders, and Grey Mullet. Wild-fowl shooting is good here in hard winters. Bass in the mouths of both these harbours.

Swanage.Round Peverel Ledge, and Durlestone Head to

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