;

piece of leather, which will not chafe through on the bottom or this part of the line may be served round with wire. To set

FIG. 43.

Leger-lead, Trace, and Baited Hooks.

the line, swing it to and fro, and cast it from you as far as possible. The most likely place to take Bass in this manner is in the mouth of a river or harbour, or near to it, off a pier-head or an open shingly beach, or from a point of rock whence you may cast your line so that it may rest on a gravelly or sandy bottom; the river's mouth is generally to be preferred. On a bottom of smooth sand it is a good plan to drive a 3-inch nail through the lead, thus converting it into a kind of anchor.

If two lines are used, let the lead of one be half a pound heavier than that of the other, and cast the heavier up

and the lighter down the tide, by which means they will the better keep clear of each other.

In order that the bait may not slide down in a bunch on the bend of the hook, I frequently lash on a pin, bent at an angle of 45 degrees, at the back of the hook, and passing this pin through the top of the bait, all is kept snug in its required position. This is plainly figured in the smaller illustration. In throwing out these lines a stout stick (longer than the snood) is often used, having a notch in the end into which the line is placed just above the lead, which may then be thrown without

risk of the hooks catching the fingers. A couple of joints of an old fishing-rod, with a forked wood plug at the end, make an excellent throwing-stick. This kind of throwing-stick is in frequent use at Lowestoft.

Every few minutes you should haul up and clear off any drifting weed which may have become attached to your

lines.

The Bass feed best in rough weather and disturbed water, and will approach the shore when the waves are breaking six or seven feet high; in fact, in fine bright clear weather it is a loss of time to try for them, but when the weather is rough and squally, and it is not prudent to venture afloat, this sport may be followed with much success.

On open exposed shores it frequently happens that even in fine weather there is a considerable surf on the beach; if, therefore, there be any favourable point of rock or steep part of the beach from which you may cast your line clear of the breakers you will have a reasonable chance of sport.

Bass and other fish seek out the mouths of rivers along the coast; always therefore give these spots a trial. Spring tides generally answer best, and from half flood to half ebb. If there is much floating weed, from half an hour before to half an hour after high water will alone suit, but, if abundant, even in this short time many may be landed.

When fishing with two lines be careful to secure one whilst you hold the other, or you will very likely lose your tackle if you hook a large fish.

If you are likely to follow this kind of fishing much, I would recommend you to procure a piece of holly or beech wood, 18 inches long and an inch in diameter, shod with an iron point at the bottom, and having a ring or ferrule at the top; this you can drive into the sand or shingle, and wind the line on when you give up your sport. I do not recommend more than one hook for each line, unless you use a throwing-stick, in which case a second may be placed 18 inches above the first, which should be attached a foot only above the lead. Nos. 4 and 5, fig. 62, for ground-fishing with Squid or Cuttle bait; with smaller hooks, No. 8, fig. 63, p. 211 you may bait with a SandEel and use half a dozen hooks, but the Squid and Cuttle are

most to be depended on. Too much caution cannot be observed in throwing out, many painful accidents having occurred from want of it.

The Bulter, Trot, or Spiller (fig. 44).-Supposing you wish to put more hooks, you must make a trot, bulter, or spiller (for by all these names is it known), which may be set at low water, or with the help of a boat, the hooks not to be nearer than 6 feet to each other, and tied to strong fishing line 3 feet in length; these are to be firmly fastened to the main line, which should be a strong cord or small rope, nearly half an inch in diameter, and to each end of this a cork line should be attached, if you desire to raise it in a boat.

FIG. 44.- Bulter, Trot, or Spiller, for Cod, Conger, &c.

In positions where you have plenty of space, it is often more advantageous to place your hooks on the main or back line, as much as 12 feet apart, which will enable you to cover a far greater extent of ground; in a harbour's mouth, 9 feet may be a good distance. All must depend on the space you desire to cover. In shooting these lines, a common arrangement is to place the hooks all along the boat's gunwale, commencing close behind the after rowlock, and continuing backwards, the hooks not quite touching each other. Placing the first stone overboard, the hooks will follow each other as you pull along, and the line shoot itself.

In a sandy cove between the rocks, you may suspend it from the sides with advantage, as Bass frequent such places on a flowing tide. Very long lines of this kind are used by the fishermen for Cod, Conger, Turbot, Plaice, &c., sometimes with nearly a thousand hooks. Some boats carry twelve miles of these long lines, which are set in deep water at great distances from the shore.

On a flat sandy shore, a bulter may be set at low water and examined on the succeeding tide; Sand-Eels or Mackerel are here the best baits, and hooks Nos. 8 and 9. The same line, No. 11 hooks, will catch Plaice with Lug bait. See fig. 63, p. 211.

The most killing method of taking Bass with which I am acquainted, is to bait a trot with living Sand-Eels as for Pollack, No. 10 hooks, not coiling down the trot, but dropping every hook into the water as soon as baited.

Trot Basket and Hook Holder.-These form a very useful combination for keeping a trot or spiller in good order. The line is dropped into the basket, and the hooks are passed over the holder, which should consist of a piece of tough ash a foot long, sawn down 9 inches, the two arms of which are to be rounded sufficiently to admit the hooks, which having been inserted until the holder is full, they are to be brought together with a clove hitch of the line to keep the hooks in their place. When one holder is full, place it on the line in the basket and fix a second in the wicker work at the side. A basket 15 inches wide and 10 deep is a convenient size for a small trot, but a bulter or Conger-trot, if of any considerable length, requires a larger basket. In Scotland and Ireland a basket of a scoop or coal-scuttle form is used, and some grass being laid flat on the fore part, the baited hooks are arranged thereon in regular rows, and the line coiled away behind it. Fasten a fig-drum in the centre of the basket for the baited hooks.

'The Outhaul' Bulter.-At low-water time put down an anchor or very heavy stone as far as convenient, or drive in a post if the ground will admit, and make fast a three-inch block, spliced to a piece of strong rope a yard or two in length. Let your line be of the size of of an inch thick, and double

the length required to reach from just above high-water mark to the block; make fast sufficient Cod-hooks, in size 14 inch across from point to shank, to pieces of strong Whiting-line 4 feet long, and secure them to the main line at not less than 8 feet apart, and reeving the line through the block carry both ends up above high-water mark, and make fast to another post, which will enable you to haul in or out at pleasure : bait with pieces of Squid or Cuttle-fish, Pilchard or Mackerel, or SandEels-I prefer the two former.

If you wish your tackle available at all times, make a separate bulter half the length of the outhaul, to which you must join it, and in that case you may leave down the outhaul continually. Five feet nearer to the block than the outermost hook lash on a stout piece of stick six inches long, to prevent the snooding of that hook choking the block.

This outhaul bulter must be used when the water is free from floating weed, which would probably choke the block; at such times fish only with the leger lines. If you have plenty of bait, you may of course use more hooks.

Should you leave this line down after dark, you will also take Conger, and if you do so use stout double snooding, which should be traced over with hemp, as shown in fig. 47, article 'Conger' (p. 178).

HARBOUR GROUND-FISHING.

(From a boat.)

Use a heavy boat-shaped lead and a three-fathom snooding of strong hemp, with two hooks, size No. 8 (fig. 63, p.211) tied to two feet each of stout gimp; bait with a living or dead SandEel the former to be preferred, or pieces of Squid or Cuttlefish three inches long and one and a half wide; hook them by one end, and turning over pass the hook through the second time. A whole Soft Crab is also a good bait.

When a Sand-Eel, enter the hook at the mouth, and, bringing it out at the gills, hook it slightly across the throat.

A fifteen-fathom line without lead may also be used with advantage. Anchor the boat in a run of tide, and fish on the