INTRO D UCTOR Y 23 



after I had received this excellent advice, bass suddenly re- 

 appeared in great numbers, and afforded some of the best sport 

 ever known at that part of the coast. 



This leads me to a not unimportant portion of my subject, 

 namely, the migration of sea fish. All freshwater anglers know 

 that the larger the river or lake, the more difficult it is to 

 find the fish. In the sea, which is infinitely greater, we meet 

 with the additional difficulty of having to learn the seasons at 

 which the fish are likely to be present at any particular spot. 

 Some years, as may be gathered from the little anecdote I have 

 just related, they do not visit their usual haunts at all ; and 

 the tiro who has journeyed many miles to some noted spot, 

 only to find the bass or other fish a source of local wonderment 

 owing to their absence, may very likely declare that sea fishing 

 is a fraud, depart after a few wasted days, intensely disgusted 

 and with a very false impression of the sport. I may have 

 more to add on this subject later on. 



Assuming that the angler has a reasonable or average 

 amount of skill, and enlists the assistance of a man who 

 thoroughly knows the fishing grounds of the locality, and fishes 

 during the right tides, there are fewer blank days, or even bad 

 days, on the sea than in fresh water. Much, of course, de- 

 pends on the variety of fish sought after ; but, so far as the 

 common species which fall to the lot of the paternosterer are 

 concerned, the result of a day's fishing is, more often than not, 

 satisfactory. That is my experience ; but then I take pains to 

 fish at the right times and in the right places, and I am in hopes 

 that the remarks in this chapter may prevent many people from 

 falling into the errors which were my own when I began to sea- 

 fish errors which usually lead to very indifferent sport. 



There is one difficulty to be overcome at every new place 

 we visit, and that is, the dislike of professional fishermen to 

 give information. Certain marks, and fishing grounds, and facts, 



