ROUND THE BRITISH AND IRISH COASTS 51 



return to it when they feel so disposed. There is a beautiful 

 little natural harbour, and very good accommodation for visi- 

 tors and sea fishermen. 



Between Salcombe and Dartmouth is the little village of 

 Torcross. Sand eels can be bought from the fishermen. There 

 is an hotel and every accommodation, and hard by are Torcross 

 Ley and Slapton Ley, the pike and rudd fishing of which is 

 noted. Boats with one or two men cost $s, and JS. a day. The 

 bass and pollack fishing is off the Start, about three miles dis- 

 tant. Flat fish are caught half a mile from the beach. The 

 whiting grounds, where sport is often excellent, lie about seven 

 miles out. The inhabitants of the Torcross, Slapton, Busands, 

 and Hallsands villages, on the bay, mostly get their living by 

 fishing. . 



A few miles onward is Dartmouth, a town on the west side 

 of the estuary of the Dart. The extensive harbour is deep and 

 frequently contains large numbers of sea fish, including mac- 

 kerel. There is fishing for pollack outside the harbour round 

 headlands and rocks well known to the local men ; and occasion- 

 ally bass are taken round the Mewstone and eastern Black 

 stone. There are extensive whiting grounds off Dartmouth. 



Brixham, on the south side of Tor Bay, is of more import- 

 ance to the professional fisherman than to the amateur, being 

 one of the oldest ports of the deep-sea trawlers. From Brixham 

 across Tor Bay to Torquay there is a good deal of excellent 

 fishing for mackerel, flat fish, pollack, and, in good seasons, 

 bass. Whiting are sometimes very abundant in the bay, but 

 are more often found further out. Bass in immense quantities 

 frequent the rocks west of Berry Head. There is excellent 

 bream fishing off this part of the coast. 



At Torquay there is a little fishing to be had from the 

 pierhead, but it is bad during an east wind. A few pollack 

 can be caught from any projecting rocky point, and particularly 



