water or over the rocky ground, for Whiting-Coal, Bass, and sometimes for Mackerel.

Margate.-Bass sometimes taken with artificial spinning bait, or by angling from the piers or jetty with lug-worm or cuttle bait. Local name Sea-Dace, or Salmon-Dace. Flat-fish and small Whiting by line or rod, with boiled Shrimp, from the jetty end. Grey Mullet also met with. Codlings, Cod, Whiting, and sometimes flat-fish in the offing. For Mullet use a portion of the inside of Skate, in appearance like sweetbread.

Ramsgate. Same kind of fishing as at Margate, but fish in greater quantity.

Bass are met with in the mouth of Sandwich Haven in summer; fish where any flock of gulls may be seen in a state of great excitement, with fly or spinning bait. Dabs, Whiting, Codlings, and Cod in the offing.

Aberffraw, Anglesey.-Excellent sea-fishing, especially for Pollack. Fish run large. The landlord of the 'Prince Llewellyn' keeps a boat for visitors. Mackerel, large Gurnards, Conger, Cod, and Bream are also here taken. Carnarvon.-Bass and other sea-fishing.

Beaumaris.-Bass and Pollack.

Barmouth.-Bass at the harbour entrance.

Aberdovey.-Bass-fishing.

Milford. Good sea-fishing. Pollack round Sheep, Thorn, Stack, and the other islands. Very large fish round the outside islands towards the Smalls.

Tenby.-Bass and Pollack round Caldy Island, and the Woolhouse Rocks. Trotting or long lining for Cod in the bay, in which is good trawling.

Ilfracombe.-Bass, Pollack, and ground-fishing. Licensed pilot and boatman, Buckingham, familiarly known as the 'Duke.'

Appledore, North Devon.-Bass-fishing in summer and autumn. Bideford Bay is best fished from Clovelly, the tide being so very strong, and the passing of the bar being attended often with much risk.

Clovelly.—Bass and Pollack fishing more or less along the

shore eastward to Rock's Nose, and north-westward to Hartland. Also round Lundy Island.

Hartland.--Most excellent Bass-fishing with Pollack, off the point; between forty and seventy fish have been taken at a time, from three to ten pounds weight, with spinning Red Eel. Good Trout-fishing in neighbouring streams.

Padstow.-Good Bass-fishing at times in summer and autumn. Pollack under the cliffs towards Stepper Point, round the Gull and other rocks and Pentire Point. SandEels at the Dumbar Sand.

St. Ives.-Pollack on all the rocky coast and grounds, flat-fish in the bay, and Bass at Hayle Bar.

Penzance.-Angling from the piers and quay, for Pollack and Grey Mullet. Pollack immediately outside the entrance at the Geer Rocks, on which is a beacon, and on all the rocky grounds of the bay. Pilchard gut on a small hook, very excellent bait for the Grey Mullet. Much fish collects at the drain outfall, at the back of the east pier.

The Lizard.-Plenty of large Pollack round the Stags, and Bass are sometimes taken by spinning off the rocks, with indiarubber eel.

THE WHITING.

(Merlangus vulgaris.)

There are several fish known under the generic term of Whiting, and as they are frequently confounded with each other, it has been deemed advisable to mention the different varieties, as well as their provincial names, in order to prevent mistakes.

First, in order and quality, is the common Whiting (Merlangus vulgaris), called also the Silver Whiting.

Second, the Whiting-Pollack (Merlangus pollachius) or Whiting-Coal, by which name it is known in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight &c., and is, as its name implies, of a darker hue.

Third, the Coal-fish or Sillock (Merlangus carbonarius). This is the Race or Rauning (an old Cornish word for ravening or ravenous) Pollack, and is of a much darker

green on the back, and of a rounder form of body generally than the preceding classes. This fish is more abundant on the northern than on our southern shores, although found everywhere. It is numerous and large in Norway and North America.

The common or Silver Whiting (Merlangus vulgaris) abounds upon our coasts, where the bottom is sufficiently soft or oozy for the abode of the worms on which it is supposed to feed, and sometimes grows to four or five pounds in weight, but is usually much smaller. The finest run of Whiting I have seen have been caught on the southern coasts of Devon and Cornwall, in the fall of the year, the average size of which certainly is not more than two pounds in weight. It is true that numbers of a much larger size are taken, but they must be regarded as above the average.

In early summer the fish are much smaller than at the latter part of the year, when, after having enjoyed their summer's food, they are in the best condition for the table, being light and nutritious.

The depth of water in which the greater part of the Whiting are caught near Plymouth is from 28 to 32 fathoms, and between the distances of from 2 to 6 miles from the shore; that is to say, between the Eddystone and the Rame Head, the westernmost headland of Plymouth Sound. They are by no means confined to these limits, as both east and west of this great quantities are taken, as well as over nearly the whole circuit of our coasts; and, as the season advances, they approach the shore to within 1 and 11⁄2 mile, and small sections enter the different bays along the coast, and the deep water harbours of Plymouth and Falmouth &c., and proceed up some miles, there being, on the average, 10 or 12 fathoms' water at a considerable distance up these arms of the sea ; this, however, is not the case with the main body of the fish, which remains in the deep water, for in 30 fathoms Whiting may be taken nearly the whole year round in the English Channel.

In moderate depths of water at the distance of one or two miles from the shore, Whiting are rarely to be taken in any

quantity before June. Although they are to be met with in congenial localities all round the coasts of the kingdom, there are considerable intervals either entirely destitute of this fish or only occasionally visited by them.

Where a large extent of the sea-bottom exists frequented by this fish during the chief part of the year, it has received the name of a 'Whiting Ground,' from time immemorial, amongst fishermen,

GROUND-FISHING GEAR.

I have placed the article on ground-fishing gear, to follow that on the Whiting, that being the most important fish taken at the bottom. In treating of other fish I refer to this article, mentioning such modifications regarding sizes of lines, or weight of leads &c., as I have found necessary.

The methods of fitting gear for ground-fishing differ much in different localities, much more, in fact, than necessity requires, the truth being simply this-that any tackle which will work clear, and place the bait fairly within reach of the fish, will be sure to catch them, the form of the gear being bound, as far as success is concerned, by no arbitrary rules; but to fulfil its requirements, whatever be its form, the tackle must be the best of its kind, or it will prove a failure. In such deep water as that to which I have just referred at the end of the previous article, heavy sinkers are of course required, and even then it is impossible to keep the baited hooks near the bottom during the strength of the stream of tide at the springs, which is necessary, for although the fish sometimes are found at a less depth, yet this is quite an exception to the general rule, and the baits should therefore be kept just clear of the ground. Off jutting points and headlands heavy gear is also necessary, even in a moderate depth of water; but in bays and off parts of the coast, where depths and streams of tide are not beyond the average, much lighter sinkers may be used, provided they will keep the ground. The most common error is to use a stout line where a fine one would be just as effectual ; this by necessity involves a heavy sinker, because the stout line holds so much tide that bottom cannot be kept with a

D

light one, that is to say, with a sinker of moderate ́weight. Although the varieties of lines figured and described in this article are fitted out with intention of taking Whiting, the captures are by no means confined to this fish, but grey and red Gurnards, Sea-Bream, Cod, Haddock, Ling, and Dabs &c., to say nothing of those plagues, the Dog-fish, are constantly caught therewith.

In describing the various kinds of ground-lines, their differences and relative advantages will be pointed out, and the variety of form of sinker and method of fitting will be rendered evident from an inspection of the accompanying cuts. Leads of one and of two pounds' weight are very useful for most kinds of ground-fishing alongshore, and in coramon with others of greater weight are always fitted with booms or bearers-off, to keep the hooks from twisting round the lines, which booms, whether they consist of wire, wood, or whalebone, are known by the general name of chopsticks. Some are fixed, others revolving.

Snooding. The material to which hooks are attached is generally known as snood or snooding, sneads or sids, and consists of either twisted white hair, single or twisted gut, silk, hemp, or flax. The snood is either long or short, according to the kind of gear, and of which it forms a very important part. (See also p. 205.) Two-stranded snooding is far preferable to three-stranded, being stiffer and less liable to foul.

Dip Leads are of varied form, sometimes of a sugar-loaf or true conical shape, and frequently more elongated, with eight sides like a ship's hand lead; others like a rifle bullet of the Enfield make. In fig. 2, a, in the accompanying woodcut, it is represented.

The Southampton Rig, consisting of a sinker one pound in weight and in form an octagonal cone, with a piece of brass wire (having eyes turned at the ends) cast into its base. Size of wire A loop of fine line or snooding being worked into the eye at either end, the hook-link is attached in the usual manner known as the loop-slip. A correspondent suggests small brass swivels between the loops and hook-links, to prevent the kinking of the snoods; this is an excellent addition to