120 



MODERN SEA FISHING 





BAITING WITH 



THE LIVING 



SAND-EEL 



deadly baits known for pollack and bass. It 

 should be placed on the hook in the manner 

 shown in the illustration (fig. A) if the tidal 

 current is at all strong ; but in slack water 

 it is perhaps best hooked through the nape 

 of the neck, as shown in fig. B. Dead sand- 

 eels are good whiffing baits, and it is not as 

 a rule necessary to spin them. The whiffing 

 or trailing tackle used for small congers or 

 silver eels, shown on pp. 96-99, carries the 

 sand-eel exceedingly well. But, should the 

 fish be very shy and a lively spin be deemed 

 desirable, a Chapman spinner, small in the 

 fans and long in the spike, is as good as any 

 that can be used, but it must be fitted with 

 hooks strong enough to hold the fish we are 

 seeking. 



Small pieces of sand-eel are also good 

 baits for most bottom-feeding fish. For 

 whiffing purposes they can be kept for an 

 almost indefinite period in the compound 

 known as King's Preservative, or a mixture 

 of methylated spirits, glycerine, and water in 

 equal parts. It is as well after the first 

 fortnight to change the liquid, which gets 

 charged with oil. 



