INTRODUCTORY 15 



come a tremendous gale of wind, the water may be forced 

 back and brought to a slightly lower level at low tide than is 

 given on the chart. 



The various letters, &c., on charts are so numerous that it 

 is almost necessary to have the little sixpenny book inter- 

 preting those signs and abbreviations. M. as a rule means 

 mud, St. stone, S. sand. Rocks above the surface are shown 

 by a cross, while R. indicates rocks below the surface. As an 

 instance of the abbreviations used, Sp. 3Kn., Np. 2Kn., means 

 that the tidal current runs at the speed of three knots an- hour 

 during spring tides, and two knots an hour during neap tides. 

 Of course all this will be in the nature of A B C to yachts- 

 men ; but a great many men who now go sea fishing know 

 nothing of these matters, and for them the information is in- 

 tended. 



I am afraid that the ordinary man generally gives up any 

 attempt to understand the tides as hopeless, and ' ebb,' ' flow,' 

 'neap,' and 'springs ' are to him unmeaning terms. Yet on a 

 study of the tides the success of the man who fishes with hook 

 and line greatly depends. I do not propose to go into any 

 elaborate explanation of the causes of tides, or to use any 

 scientific terminology ; but it is so extremely important that the 

 sea fisherman should have some knowledge of the subject that 

 I will attempt to explain the matter in such a way that a school- 

 boy of ten years old could understand, and more than that 

 can hardly be expected of any writer. 



The water in the sea flows for a certain number of hours 

 in one direction ; then comes almost to a standstill, and 

 begins to flow for a certain number of hours in the opposite 

 direction. If we are on the sea coast on an arm of the sea, 

 such as the Bristol Channel, as the tide comes flowing in the 

 Channel fills up, and the water gradually rises. Sailors say the 

 tide is floiuing, which is practically equivalent to saying the water 



