BAITS 12 1 



The Sea Loach, or Cockling, is a useful little fish of the 

 cod family, found among the rocks on some parts of our 

 coasts, and is a good whiffing bait for pollack, &c. 



Shrimps. Shrimps are admirable baits for flat fish and 

 pollack, particularly if used alive, when the hook should be 

 passed once through the tail. They can be obtained from the 

 shrimpers, who will of course save a few from the boiling pot 

 for a small consideration. They are easily kept alive in a 

 sand-eel courge, or in any other finely woven basket. Boiled 

 shrimps, peeled, are sometimes used as baits. It is far better, 

 even if they are not alive, to use them unboiled. 



Smelts. These delicate little fish make admirable baits, 

 and may be used in exactly the same way as sand-eels. In 

 the Solent a piece of smelt is a very favourite bait for whiting, 

 but is not, I believe, much used for the purpose in other 

 places. I have devoted a little space to these fish in a subse- 

 quent chapter, and there is also a reference to them in con- 

 nection with fly fishing in the sea. 



Snails. The common or garden snail is a fairly good bait 

 for whiting, pout and bream, and I have heard of it being used 

 on long lines when nothing better was to be obtained. 



The Spotted Gunnel, or butterfish a term which is equally 

 applied to the blennies is a capital whiffing bait for pollack, 

 and can be either simply trailed on the eel tackle (p. 96), or 

 mounted on spinning tackle such as I have recommended for 

 small mackerel on p. 108. It is found in small pools under 

 seaweed or stones, between high and low water mark. It is 

 slippery, and difficult to catch with the hand. Being long-lived 

 it is a capital live bait. It is common in the Orkneys (where 

 it is called swordick) and on the west coast of Scotland. It is 

 found on the Devonshire and Cornish coasts, and is plentiful 

 all round Ireland. It is a long, eel-like little fish, with nine or 

 more black spots encircled with white rings on the upper 



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