SEA ANGLING 49 



spinning round and round, thus causing the hook link to kink if it , 

 has not been fitted with a swivel, and the same effect is often 

 produced by the spinning of a fish on the hook. 



The employment of a suitable ground bait will often make a 

 wonderful difference in the angler's haul. It frequently attracts 

 large numbers, keeping them near at hand for some considerable 

 time, and apparently sharpens their appetite. It may be often 

 observed, too, that a fish will bite freely at the angler's bait when 

 in the neighbourhood of the ground bait, while the former is viewed 

 with suspicion in the absence of the latter. 



When fishing on the bottom only, the ground bait should be 

 weighted if it is of such a nature that it does not sink readily or if 

 it is liable to be carried away by currents ; but it will often be 

 found more convenient to secure it on the end of a string, tied up 

 in a muslin bag if necessary, so that it may be adjusted to any 

 desired depth. 



Among the attractive viands suitable for this purpose we may 

 mention mussels, crushed crabs, pounded liver, the guts of any oily 

 fish, and the offal of almost any animal. 



Along the east coast, and in some of the sandy bays of Devon 

 and Cornwall, fishing from the beach is practised, but we can 

 hardly recommend this as of much value to the amateur whose 

 object is to obtain as great a variety as possible of fishes for study. 

 Some good food fishes are often caught by this means, but the 

 methods employed are often very primitive, and would lack all 

 interest to those who love good sport. 



On the east coast a long line, fitted with many hooks, is slung 

 out as far as possible by means of a pole, and the home end either 

 held in the hand of the fisher or fastened to the top of a flexible 

 stick driven into the sand. The latter plan becomes necessary 

 when more than one line is owned by the same individual, and he 

 is made aware of the bite of a large fish and a large fish only, 

 since the hooks are placed beyond a heavy lead by the bending of 

 the stick. 



The naturalist, however, is as much interested in the small fish 

 as the large ones, and, even for beach fishing, a rod and line, 

 fitted with one or two hooks only, and a lead no heavier than is 

 absolutely essential, will be preferable. A little practice will of 

 course be necessary in order that one may become expert in the 

 casting of the rod line, but with large rings on the rod, and a reel 

 without a check, or a check that can be thrown off when desired, 



E 



