204 



MODERN SEA FISHING 



fragrance, then we all hasten to the feast bountiful Providence 

 appears to have prepared for us, and sooner or later one of us 

 pays the penalty. 



Imagine a man walking through a forest and suddenly 

 coming upon a mutton chop daintily arranged on a silver 

 plate ! I don't believe he would eat it. He would think it 

 was poisoned, or something or other wrong about it. But if 

 as he went on he came upon numbers of such carefully grilled, 

 hot, and gravy-yielding mutton chops upon similar precious 

 platters, I venture to say he would very soon taste one of them 

 and make a hearty meal. Maybe that is the view fish take of 

 the matter, or else how can we explain the great success which 

 so often attends the use of ground bait, both in fresh water and 

 salt ? In fresh water I am certain fish are brought on the feed, 

 rather than merely collected, by the use of ground bait ; of this 

 I have absolute proof. Over and over again have I cast my 

 baited hook among fish which I could see, and not one would 

 look at it till I had distributed handfuls of ground bait amongst 

 them. Then, and not before, they came on the feed, and after 

 a minute or two one would be caught. 



There are many recipes for saltwater ground bait. That 

 given is one of the best. As a matter of fact the angler will 

 be well advised to take whatever he can get in the way of fish- 

 offal, shell fish, lobster shells, oyster shells, small mussels and 

 mussel shells. One of the most collecting ground baits he 

 can use consists of the oily livers of fish, and particularly the 

 entrails of pilchards. These latter, by the way, are excellent 

 baits for many kinds of sea fish, though somewhat difficult 

 to keep on the hook. There is more on this subject on 

 pp. 131-136. 



Now, leaving the rocks and the piers to the boys, let us take 

 a stroll round the harbour and see what sport is there afforded. 

 There are harbours and harbours. Some into which rivers flow 



