150 MODERN SEA FISHING 



to reappear a hundred yards away. Long before the boat can 

 reach the spot they are away again, to break in quite another 

 direction. If they can be lighted upon while shoaling in this 

 way in any very small bay, then the fly fisher can whip them 

 out one after the other and have grand sport. Sometimes a fly 

 or two may be fixed on the ordinary whiffing line, in addition 

 to the strip of mackerel-skin which is by far the best bait for 

 the tail hook. Flies so placed catch a few fish during the day, 

 but not many, and I have long written them down a fraud. 



In addition to the fish I have mentioned, most of the 

 bottom feeders that is to say those of them which are in the 

 habit of feeding on the whitebait will take this fly if it is sunk 

 low enough. I have occasionally caught cod, gurnard, haddock, 

 and whiting on a white fly ; but that has been when I have 

 been trailing or whiffing with it behind a boat for other fish, and 

 for some reason or other have allowed the tackle to sink almost 

 or quite to the bottom. 



In 1893 the capture of a cod in Loch Nevis on a fly was 

 reported in the ' Pishing Gazette,' and numerous other in- 

 stances of sea fish taking salmon or other artificial flies of 

 considerable size have been recorded from time to time in the 

 ' Field,' ' Land and Water,' ' Rod and Gun,' the ' Angler,' and 

 other sporting papers. I may mention in particular a cod of 

 1 2 Ibs. caught by a friend of mine, the lure being a sole-skin fly 

 fished at a depth of a foot or so. There is not much doubt 

 that at times cod come close to the surface to feed on the 

 whitebait fry. 



Though fly fishing for bass and coalfish has been carried 

 on for a good many years by a few people, not a great deal is 

 really known about this branch of angling. I hope, however, 

 that the rapidly increasing popularity of the sport will bring 

 about such an accession of experience, that before long our 

 knowledge on the subject may be very greatly increased. 



