318 MODERN SEA FISHING 



are made fast to the rail or to a pin in the rail. The heel of 

 the boom rests on the rail, and is perfectly free, except that it 

 is kept from running inboard by a heel rope rove through it 

 and made fast to the rail. 



Now comes the working of our ocean fishing rod. First 

 we have to ascertain how far the boom is to project over the 

 water. It should be projected until the strain on the topping 

 lifts (ascertained by lashing a spring balance or 2Oo-lb. weight 

 to their hauling parts) is just 200 Ibs. When a pull equal to 

 this weight will lift the boom, the heel lashing should be 

 made fast to the rail, and a mark put on the boom to 

 show how to adjust it on any future occasion. A pine boom 

 may be so heavy that it may be necessary to hang a 56-lb. 

 weight at the thick end of it. Otherwise too much of the 

 boom would have to be inboard to partly balance the project- 

 ing portion. The line, which is from forty-five to sixty fathoms 

 long, according to the speed and sea, is rove through a block 

 at the boom end, made fast between the topping lift and the 

 fore guy, and close to both. When the line is paid out the 

 length required, which may be marked on it, the inboard 

 end is made fast to the hauling parts of the topping lift, about 

 eight feet above the rail ; so that when a fish strikes he can 

 never pull more than 2oo-lb. weight without topping the boom 

 up ; and as the strain becomes less, so the boom goes back in 

 its place again, thus playing the fish until the time comes for 

 hauling him in. 



Captain Howell always uses two hanks of stout log line, at 

 the end of which there is a swivel ; through this he reeves a 

 galvanised wire trace about two fathoms long. The hook is 

 double (made according to his own idea) on one shank six 

 inches long, with a swivel attached to it. Upon the shank of 

 this is the bait, which consists of white rag, bound round in the 

 shape of a fish, the ends being allowed to form a tail about two 



