i?2 MODERN SEA FISHING 



way when people fishing close to him could get few or 

 none. 



There is much more chance of catching large pollack than 

 large coalfish with the fly cast with fly rod, because the former 

 are often found in large quantities in comparatively shallow 

 water where rocky points stretch out some distance under the 

 surface, the most favoured rocks being those covered with 

 seaweed. In such places, in the evening, large fish will come 

 with a plunge like salmon, and go down again head foremost 

 to seek shelter among the weeds. I need hardly say that the 

 tackle must be very strong, and the rod proportionately 

 stiff. 



For the little cuddies, in which term I believe the Scotch 

 include both lythe and coalfish, though some ichthyologists 

 limit the word to the latter variety, quite fine tackle can be 

 used. In the north it is a common thing to catch five or six 

 dozen of these little fish on a calm summer's evening with a 

 white fly. 



Large coalfish are commonly found in seven to ten 

 fathoms of water in or at the edge of a tideway, and, unless 

 they are tempted to the surface by shoals of sand-eels or other 

 fry of some kind, are not very get-at-able with the fly rod. 

 The smaller fish, however, varying from half a pound to three 

 pounds, the billet of Yorkshire, which are favoured with the 

 extraordinary variety of local names given in the remarks on 

 coalfish, occasionally afford really splendid sport with the fly. 

 In the introductory chapter I referred to the very excellent 

 fly fishing I used to have from Filey Brigg, shoals of billet 

 coming close to the shore and taking the fly as quickly as 

 I could cast it to them. It is when these fish are thus 

 greedily feeding close to the rocks that the fly fisher has his 

 opportunity. In the sea wherever they are found it is always 

 well to be prepared with a fly rod and a suitable fly, and the 



