CH. v.] " TELL-TALE" BAITS USED IN ENGLAND. 73 



the end of each of the chopsticks should be a loop, 

 between which and the hook should be about a 

 foot of good gut. In principle of course the longer 

 this gut is, the better; but in practice it will be 

 found that if it is much longer than this, it is apt 

 to get in the way the hooks becoming entangled 

 with each other, and the chopsticks. Any one 

 who does not mind the additional expense, will 

 find his comfort much promoted by the use of 

 plaited lines, instead of the twisted ones, which 

 are usually sold for the purpose, they being (at 

 first particularly) abominably addicted to kinking, 

 a habit of which it requires a good deal of time 

 and trouble to cure them. 



On some parts of the South Coast, particularly 

 when fishing for Whiting-Pollack (Whiting-Cole, as 

 they are there generally called), they employ, be- 

 sides their hand-lines, one which they call a " Tell- 

 tale " or " Dodger." This consists of a long hair- 

 line with gut next the hook, lightly leaded, and 

 floated off astern of the boat by a large float or 

 bung. On this they catch the best fish, and not 

 unfrequently a Mackerel. 



The principal baits used for sea-fishing along 

 the coast of England are the lug- worm (generally 

 called "lug"), shrimps, hermit-crabs (in the South 



