202 MODERN SEA FISHING 



of hooks away from the pier, more line is let out, till finally the 

 lead of a pound or two is gently dropped into the water. Of 

 course, there is little or no sport in this method of fishing. A 

 more detailed description of a drift trot, and illustration, will be 

 found in Chapter VIII. 



The fish which are most usually found round piers on the 

 South coast near London are whiting pout, rock fish, small 

 whiting, and flat fish. For large whiting we must, as a rule, 

 go into deeper water. In some places, pollack are fairly 

 plentiful ; in others, where the bottom is muddy, nothing but 

 flat fish will be caught. But wherever we may be, there is 

 always a chance of a nasty little wriggling eel which leaves bars 

 of slime on Master Tommy's blue serge suit and threatens 

 Aunt Jane with hysteria or, should I not say neurasthenia ? 

 and, after twisting round and round until line, hooks and lead 

 are one inextricable mass of kink and slime, nips through 

 the gut, wriggles tail foremost through a hole in the staging, 

 and drops quietly, smiling to itself the while, into the salt 

 sea. 



From the economic point of view, the smelt is perhaps the 

 best of all the fish which are found round pierheads, for they 

 are distinctly edible. Of them more when we leave the pier 

 and make for the harbour. Now and again a goodly plaice 

 will fall to the lot of the pierhead angler, particularly if the pier 

 be not far from the town drain ; and when the big cod are in- 

 shore in late autumn there is always a chance of one of these 

 fish. But for cod, go to the East coast. 



In summer-time when the water is very clear, and a fringe 

 of unproductive lines depends from the steamboat staging, I 

 have not the least doubt that sea fish, like their cousins of the 

 rivers and lakes, become somewhat suspicious of baited hooks. 

 Then the ground-bait net will be found of great advantage. 

 One of the best mixtures for ground bait is the common green 



