HOOK AND LINE FISHING. 259 



in use, one called long lines, the other hand-lines. 

 The long line has hooks fastened at regular dis- 

 tances along its whole length, by shorter and smaller 

 cords, called snoods ; these snoods are six feet long 

 each, and fastened to the long line twelve feet from 

 each other, to prevent the hooks becoming entan- 

 gled. Near the hooks these shorter lines, or snoods, 

 are formed of separate threads loosely fastened together, 

 to guard against division by the teeth of the fish. 

 Some variations occur at different parts of the coast, as 

 to the number of hooks attached to the long line, as 

 well as in the length of the snood ; but the distance on 

 the long line between two snoods is always double the 

 length of the snood itself. Buoys, buoy-ropes, and 

 anchors or grapples, and sometimes large stones, are 

 fixed one to each end of the long line : the hooks are 

 baited with gar-fish cut in pieces, sandlaunce, limpet 

 and whelk, &c. ; the lines are always laid, or, as it is 

 termed, shot, across the tide ; for if the tide runs upon 

 the ends of the line, it will force the hooks together, by 

 which the whole tide's fishing is lost. The lines are 

 deposited generally about the time of slack water, be- 

 tween each ebb and flow, and are taken up or hauled 

 for examination after having been left about six hours, 

 or one flood or ebb. 



An improvement upon this more common plan was 

 some years ago suggested by Mr. Cobb, who was sent 

 to the Shetlands by the Commissioners appointed for 

 the improvement of the fisheries. He fixed a small 

 piece of cork within a certain distance of the hook, 

 about twelve inches, which raised and floated the bait 



