260 LINE FISHING. 



so as to prevent its falling on the ground; by which 

 method the bait was more freely shown to the fish, 

 from the constant and variable motion produced upon 

 it by the tide. In the old way the bait was frequently 

 hid from the fish by being covered with sea-weed, or 

 was consumed by some of the numerous star-fish and 

 crabs that infest the ground. 



The fishermen, when not engaged in shooting, haul- 

 ing, or re-baiting the long lines, fish with hand-lines, 

 armed with two hooks kept apart by a strong piece of 

 wire : each fisherman manages two lines, holding one line 

 in each hand ; a heavy leaden weight is attached to the 

 lower end of the line not far from the hooks, to sink 

 the bait down near the ground, where the fish princi- 

 pally feed. These two modes of line-fishing are prac- 

 tised to a great extent nearly all round the coast ; and 

 enormous quantities of cod, haddock, whiting, coal- 

 fish, pollack, hake, ling, torsk, conger, and all the 

 various flat fish, usually called by the general name of 

 whitefish, are taken. Of codfish alone, the number 

 taken in one day is very considerable ; from one hun- 

 dred to one hundred and fifty fish have been caught on 

 the banks of Newfoundland in ten or eleven hours by 

 one man ; and a master of fishing vessels trading to 

 the London market stated that eight men, fishing under 

 his orders off the Dogger-bank, in twenty-five fathoms 

 water, have taken eight score of codfish in one day. 

 These are brought to Gravesend in stout cutter-rigged 

 well-boats, and a portion sent up to Billingsgate mar- 

 ket by each night-tide. 



It may be here stated, for the information of those 



