36 THE SEA SHOEE 



explanation as to our wants led to the acquisition of quite a variety 

 of deep-sea life, including several species of fishes not often seen 

 on land, crabs, shelled and shell-less molluscs, worms, star-fishes, 

 and various lowly organised beings, many alive and in good condi- 

 tion, together with several good food fishes thrown in by way of 

 sympathy. There is no doubt that a naturalist can obtain much 

 more deep-sea life with the aid of a friendly trawler than by any 

 amount of ' fishing ' with ordinary tackle from a boat ; and this 

 without the necessity of going to sea at all, if he will only take the 

 opportunity of examining the nets as the boats are stranded on their 

 return. 



But now to return to our angling : We have to provide a light 

 rod, about ten feet long, with a winch, and a line of twisted silk or 

 other thin but strong material ; also a light hand line, and a 

 supply of gut, leads, shot, and hooks, together with one or two 

 small floats, and a few bait boxes. 



We do not, as a rule, recommend the amateur angler to use 

 both rod and hand line at the same time, for the attempt to do 

 this leads to the neglect of both. In the end it is not likely to lead 

 to any gain, so many fish being lost through the inability to strike 

 at the moment a bite is given, and so much time having to be 

 devoted to the baiting of hooks rather than to the direct 

 management of the lines. In most cases the rod is much more 

 convenient than the hand line. The young collector will meet with 

 the greatest variety of species in rocky and weedy places, where 

 abundant shelter exists for those fishes that prefer to keep well 

 under cover, and any attempt with a hand line in such spots will 

 certainly lead to frequent loss of hooks, and often of lead, line, and 

 temper. Such a line must be reserved for fishing on sandy 

 bottoms, while the ten-foot rod recommended will enable the angler 

 to do good work in the rockiest parts without much danger of 

 fouling ; and, in fact, to fish anywhere along the coast. 



The arrangement of hooks and lead must necessarily depend 

 on the character of the place to be worked, but in all cases we 

 strongly recommend no such multiplicity of hooks as is made 

 use of by fishermen and others who fish for food. In their case 

 the use of so many hooks often pays them well ; but, as we have 

 previously hinted, the naturalist does not desire quantity of fish 

 so much as variety of species. Further, there is no necessity 

 to make his work heavy and arduous. His desire is not to spend 

 an undue proportion of his time in baiting hooks, but to have his 



