2C8 



MODERN SEA FISHING 



In late summer and autumn quantities of young sprats and 

 herrings, better known as whitebait, and in some places myriads 

 of sand-eels, come into many harbours and estuaries, and are 

 often to be seen swimming round steep rocks and along the 

 open coast. They are invaluable as bait, being taken readily 

 by nearly all sea fish. The whitebait are often caught in quan- 

 tities in these round nets ; in fact, the professional whitebait 

 fishers often use a very similar contrivance, but on a much 

 larger scale. Of course this method of catching smelts can 

 hardly be termed sport in any sense of the word ; but I refer 

 to it here because these delicate little fish are not only excellent 

 for the table, but are good baits for sea fish on many parts of 

 the coast. For instance, they make excellent spinning baits 

 for pollack, and where they can be used alive are a deadly bait 

 for bass. 



The hoop net to which I have referred is exactly like the 

 minnow net used on the Thames, but larger. A strong man 

 can use one four or five feet in diameter, but a boy would not 

 be able to lift so large a net quickly through the water ; so 

 boys must satisfy themselves with something two-thirds of 

 the size, or even smaller. For this method of fishing, a small 

 net raised sharply will catch more fish than a large one raised 

 slowly. 



Small whiting pout and pollack and whiting require tackle 

 just a little stronger than that used for smelts, but if there are 

 any large flat fish in the harbour, such as, for instance, one 

 would find at Lowestoft or Scarborough, then the tackle must 

 be fairly strong, and what is commonly called lake-trout gut 

 must be used. In my very youthful days, before I had even 

 got into trousers, I remember my big brother lamenting the 

 loss of a huge Yarmouth avonbutt, as flounders are, or were, 

 called locally, hooked in Lowestoft Harbour on fairly strong 

 tackle, which it broke. 



