128 MARVELS OF FISH LIFE 



All round our shores a considerable amount of fish- 

 ing is done with hand lines carrying two or three hooks ; 

 or with comparatively long lines which lie on the bottom 

 and carry some hundreds of hooks. Few, however, 

 realise on how large a scale line fishing is conducted in 

 the open seas. 



Long-line steamers, fitted with every modern con- 

 venience, fish in seas beyond the North of Scotland, 

 where halibut, cod and hake abound. The fishing equip- 

 ment of a " long liner " consists of several lengths of 

 lines. To these long lines, at intervals of six feet apart, 

 are attached short lengths of lines known as " snoods." 

 Each snood carries a hook. The hooks are baited on 

 shore with herrings, sprats, pilchards, mussels, whelks, 

 squids or lug-worms. Each length as it is baited is 

 coiled round and round in a tub ; the baited coils are 

 separated from each other usually with a whisk of bent 

 grass. 



As soon as the fishing ground is reached one end of 

 the length of line in the first tub is attached to a buoy 

 and then the rest is paid out. To the other end of this 

 line is attached the length of line from the second tub, 

 and so on until in the end three to four miles of con- 

 tinuous line, carrying one to two thousand hooks are 

 laid on the sea bottom. At various points along this 

 line are attached lead weights and buoys. 



The fisherman does not shoot his gear haphazard. 

 Grounds likely to be productive of good fishing are 

 known to him, and, further, during the herring spawning 



