320 MODERN SEA FISHING 



inches long beyond the hooks, and in this is sometimes put a 

 little red. Dolphin prefer white. In rough, sunny weather a 

 strip of bright tin, half an inch wide, may be fastened to the 

 back of the bait with advantage. The line is hauled into the 

 ship's quarter by another small line made fast to the rail and 

 hitched on to the fishing line. 



It is easy to introduce a bell into this gear, which rings 

 when the fish strikes. The bell is fixed on the fishing line 

 at the spots shown in the illustration (p. 317). The line is 

 slightly pulled together over the bell by means of a piece of 

 twine. Immediately a fish seizes the bait, the twine breaks, the 

 line straightens with a jerk, and the bell rings. 



I feel I must add a few words of explanation for the benefit 

 of those to whom such words as ' topping lifts ' and ' foreguys ' 

 are even less understandable than Greek. Obviously a huge 

 pole cannot be projected over a vessel's side unless either the 

 end which is on board is very heavily weighted, or the portion 

 which is over the sea is supported by one or more ropes. If 

 the pole is long and limber two supporting ropes are necessary. 

 These come down from the rigging above and are made fast 

 to the pole. On the rigging is a block (in landsman's language, 

 pulley) through which the ends of these supporting ropes pass, 

 being then brought down and made fast to the bulwarks. The 

 pole is now supported, but requires another rope to keep it 

 from swinging about. This is the foreguy, a single rope which 

 is fastened to the pole and, at its other end, to the bulwarks. 

 It will be seen that, by hauling on the ropes which support 

 the pole, we can lower or raise our big rod. The fishing line 

 passes through a block or pulley at the end of the pole, and its 

 end is fastened to these ropes which support the pole. The 

 result is that when a fish pulls on the line he actually lifts the 

 pole. Now what weight ought our fish to lift in other words, 

 what strain ought to be placed on the fishing line ? Captain 



