276 



Cod 



and Cod that has been kept fresh in ice for some days 

 there is a vast difference, even if people who have 

 never been in a position to taste both are exceedingly 

 sceptical of the fact. 



Judging from what we are permitted to see of 

 his manner of living when young and in shallow waters, 

 the Cod passes a very pleasant, peaceful time of it. 

 He is troubled by no problems of life, nor does he 

 ever need to exert himself to obtain food. Plenty of 

 it always seems to come his way, and when one kind 

 is exhausted he turns to another, or leisurely strolls 

 off, a few billions at a time, to another feeding ground. 

 On the South Coast of England during the autumn 

 codling are very plentiful ; fishing in the most primitive 

 sailor-fashion, I have caught off the North Foreland 

 in an afternoon twenty dozen, every one of which 

 had its maw literally crammed with little crabs, making 

 me wonder at what I could see must be the amazing 

 numbers of these well-known Crustacea. 



But sporting fishermen disdain the Cod ; he gives 

 no sport. No finesse is needed to hook him, rather 

 considerable delicacy of touch and quickness of striking 

 is required unless the fisherman does not mind ex- 

 tricating his hook from the bottom of every fish's 

 stomach. So voracious are they that they just gorge 

 the bait, hook and all ; they do not nibble. And when 

 they are hooked, except for a heavy, lumpish pulling 

 as they are hauled upward, they make no play, which 

 is just what renders them so welcome to the fisherman 

 with his long-lines, trawl-lines, or bulters, as they are 

 indifferently called, according to the place where they 

 are used. 



As the fish mature they move off shore into deeper 

 water, until fishing for them becomes heavy labour. 

 It is a severe tax upon the strongest physique to be 



