94 Flatfish Captured with Whitebait. 



About midsummer the Gar-Pikes or Guard-fish (Gorebills of 

 Leighmen) regularly pay a visit to where the drag-netters 

 are at work, and in companies voraciously hunt up the white- 

 bait, among which they are caught. On the Shoebuiy sands 

 they appear in plenty during summer. Big ones are eaten, 

 moderate sized not allowed to escape, and only the little ones 

 get into the " bait " boxes. The very smallest are needle-shaped 

 like the pipe-fish, hence apt to pass hasty observation. Gore- 

 bills are dire enemies to fry and fish of all kinds, so the " baiters " 

 may render service in their diminishment ; though, oddly 

 enough, ours is the only Sea Fisheries Committee that have 

 a bye-law (No. 4) in their favour. 



Flat fish. Respecting the asserted ruinous spoliations of 

 the valuable flat-fishes by the whitebaiters, we have judiciously 

 used our own eyes, and made searching inquiry into the subject so 

 far as concerns the Leighmen's practice. At different times we 

 have been witness to the capture of both the young stages of the 

 Plaice and of the Dab. Looking to their catch by the shrimpers, 

 those obtained by the whitebaiters are trivial in comparison. 

 From what we have noticed and learned from others the white- 

 baiters always assiduously pick them out, and return them to 

 the water with all speed. Practically they seldom are got in 

 the stow-net, and when so are usually large enough at once to 

 be perceived, and the great majority rejected while alive. In 

 the use of the drag-net the short interval of pulling round the 

 net ashore truly does little harm even to the youngest, for they 

 smartly scuttle off immediately they get pitched back into their 

 watery element. 



The presence of flat-fish among ordinary mercantile 

 whitebait assuredly is quite a rarity. Their appearance does 

 not simulate " bait," while detracting from its market quality. 

 Though on the watch for examples of flat-fish, we have only been 

 successful in poking out but few plaice and dabs in the boxes 

 for Billingsgate, and those at wide intervals. Only on very 

 sparse occasions have we found 1^-inch examples among the 

 cooked whitebait. 



