BAITS 



TEETH 



Whitebait are caught in either very fine seines or round 

 hoop-nets, such as are used for smelts, and shown in one of 

 Mr. Hemy's illustrations. When 

 I have had the opportunity, I have 

 used, them alive with very satis- 

 factory results, fishing with them 

 just as I would for perch, with a 

 paternoster baited with minnows. 



The Varm. This is sometimes, 

 and I expect wrongly, called the 

 sea tapeworm. It is a Channel 

 Island bait, and is also used by the 

 fishermen of the Isle of Man. I 

 have not met with it myself, but 

 a friend tells me that of all natural 

 baits it is the most deadly. It is 

 found among rocks and under 

 stones and gravel, and sometimes 

 grows to a length of two feet. It 

 puts on iridescent hues, and is 

 reputed very deadly if used on 

 whiffing tackle for pollack or coal- 

 fish, a small portion often serving 

 to attract fish. 



The advantage of ground bait 

 in many kinds of sea fishing is un- 

 questionable. The usual difficulty 

 is to distribute it so that it keeps 

 near the bait on the hook. In dead 

 water it is, of course, only necessary 

 to throw it on the surface just 

 above the hook bait, when it sinks 

 straight to the bottom in the right place ; but in many of 



F 



THE VARM 



