136 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



III.— LINE-FISHING. 



Universal practice of — Longiines and bandliues — Longline, description of, 

 length, number of hooks — Shooting the line — Buoys — Hauling in — 

 Welled-smacks, description and cost of — Baits — Whelks, mode of 

 collecting' — Enemies of the cod fishermen — Seasons for cod fishing — 

 Lono-lines and trawlers — Handlining for cod — Description of tackle — 

 Capture of small fish — Variable seasons — Impossibility of catching more 

 than part of the fish in the sea — Large breeding stock must always be 



left Storing live cod — Cod chests — Killing the cod for market — 



" Live cod " — Coast fishing — Small hookers — Dandy-hne, description 

 of — Herrings caught by it at spawning time — Only used in Scotland. 



This is probably the oldest method of fishing, with the 

 exception of that by the primitive fish spear, and, not 

 only on om' own coasts, but throughout the world, 

 is the one most generally carried on. In one form 

 or other it comes within the reach of all classes, and the 

 scale on which it is worked by our sea fishermen 

 depends more on capital and locality than on any 

 essential difference in the kind of gear or the manner of 

 using it. 



Line-fishing at sea is comparatively simple work, 

 requiring but little of the skill so often needed for the 

 more delicate operations in fresh water; and although 

 in many cases greater success undoubtedly follows 

 the use of finer tackle and more varied baits than 

 tradition and example have led most of the professional 

 fishermen to adopt, a knowledge of the localities 

 frequented by the different kinds of fishes at the various 

 seasons is generally the most important part of the sea 

 fisherman's education. 



There are two principal methods by which our line 

 fisheries are carried on, namely, by longiines and hand- 

 lines. Both are very simple in their character, and 



