BAITS 



135 



men for lowering ground bait to the bottom, placing it with 

 certainty close to the hook bait. A small, leather, cone-shaped 

 receptacle, about three inches deep, is attached above the lead 

 on the fishing line by two inches of line. The cone is placed 

 about six feet above the lead, beyond which is a piece of 

 snooding of about eight feet, bearing at the end one hook. 

 This cone is filled with pounded crab and carefully placed 

 in the water ; then the lead is lowered, and the upward 

 pressure of the water keeps the cone in a perpendicular 

 position during its descent. As soon as the downward course 

 of the lead is stopped, the cone turns face downwards 

 and discharges its contents over the bait on the hook. The 

 fish principally caught were codling, the bait being soft crab ; 

 the water was very clear. Mr. Mountain wrote that he did 

 not think this plan would answer well in a strong tideway, 

 but even if the ground bait did not fall over the bait, it 

 would probably collect fish and cause them to feed. The 

 measurements may be varied according to circumstances. 



For surface-feeding fish it is obviously of little use to lower 

 a net to the bottom. I have heard of a basket or hamper filled 

 with refuse being hung just over the rocks to attract bass, and 

 that has certainly had the effect of collecting quantities of 

 crabs which could be shaken off and pounded up for additional 

 ground bait. One of the most successful bass fishers at Tenby, 

 whose favourite hook bait is skate's liver, makes it a practice to 

 place a quantity of the liver in a sack and lower it for a foot or 

 so in the water where he is fishing. What must also be termed 

 a surface ground bait is a mixture of salted infant shrimps, 

 known as chervin, which is used at Jersey to attract grey mullet. 

 A few spoonfuls mixed with water are thrown in as may be 

 necessary. 



Ground baiting is not unknown in Australia, America, 

 France, particularly in the Mediterranean. At San Sebastian a 



