FROM YACHTS AND LARGE FISHING BOATS 291 



usual to fasten two or three semicircular pieces of cork into the 

 buoy line at distances of a few fathoms ; these help to support 

 the line, at the surface end of which is a larger piece of cork, 

 on which it would be wise to have your initials branded ; if it 

 is painted red so much the better. Professional fishermen 

 sometimes have a little staff with a small flag on it stuck into 

 the buoy. Such a one is shown in the illustration. Scotch 



LONG LINE SET 



fishermen inflate a sheep's skin, which looks like a small 

 black balloon on the water. They use the same buoys on 

 their herring nets. The buoy line should be half as long again 

 as the water is deep at flood tide. In a very strong tideway 

 the buoy is sometimes submerged ; but as the current eases 

 it will appear again, and that, of course, is the time to take up 

 the line. 



Long lines are usually set across the tides, but the amateur 



