88 MODERN SEA FISHING 



hooks ; some of the large and high-flavoured members of this 

 family which come from foreign parts are fit for little else. It 

 should be also remembered that sea fish are fond of the beards 

 of oysters. 



For lugworms and ragworms we must go to the sands and 

 muddy estuaries. Where much line fishing takes place, the 

 lads are practised in the art of catching these objectionable- 

 looking baits, and will keep up a daily supply for a small con- 

 sideration ; but if there be neither sands, nor mud, nor shell- 

 fish shops, then, unless we import worms from more favoured 

 localities, we must, if mussels also fail us, seek mackerel, sprat, 

 herring, or pilchard at the fishmonger's. He may perhaps have 

 some grey gurnard, and will most surely be able to supply us 

 with sole-skin with which to make small baits for bass and 

 other fish. Almost any bright, shining skin which is sufficiently 

 tough may be used for this purpose. Smelts, too, are to be had 

 at the fishmonger's, and these are serviceable on the bottom for 

 whiting and cod, besides making very good spinning baits for 

 bass or pollack. If there are any trawlers about they will gene- 

 rally bring home in the early morning some squid or cuttlefish ; 

 but these curious creatures are so plentiful on some parts of 

 our coast that they can be easily caught by means of a bait, as 

 to which more anon. 



Thanks to the liberality of gentlemen living at Plymouth, 

 experiments, which were continued for some time, were made 

 under the auspices of the Marine Biological Association with 

 the object of discovering some chemically prepared bait for sea 

 fish. Those who know the difficulty there often is in obtaining 

 a few baits for a day's fishing with the paternoster, can well 

 understand that professional fishermen, who deal with thousands 

 of hooks and miles of line, must be from time to time seriously 

 hampered by want of bait. For while there is often a great 

 abundance of sprats, pilchard, herring and mackerel, in some 



