352 MODERN SEA FISHING 



piece of fish skin gurnet belly for preference cast like a fly 

 is more killing than feathers and tinsel. 



Above all things, the boat must not be taken right through 

 or even very near the shoal. If the angler has not the skill or 

 necessary tackle to cast among the fish, the boat should be 

 worked across the tide in the fashion known as harling, a 

 method very carefully described on pages 263 and 264. From 

 a moored boat drift lines or float tackle is used, the tide carry- 

 ing the bait down to the fish. If a small live fish of any kind, 

 such as smelt, sand-eel, or flat fish, can be obtained for bait, so 

 much the better. The current will often work a spinning bait. 



It is not always necessary to moor the boat when drift-line 

 fishing, for the crew can continue pulling steadily, and so keep 

 the little craft in about the right position. In that case it is a 

 good plan when a fish is hooked to edge the boat well to one 

 side of the shoal, drop down with the tide while reeling in, and 

 play him below the uncaught bass. If the water is at all clear 

 this plan, which the fly fisher should also bear in mind, will 

 prevent disturbing the fish and lead to further captures. If it is 

 thick and the fish are taking freely, it may in some cases amount 

 to a loss of time with no corresponding benefit, but it is very 

 seldom that the manoeuvre does not repay the trouble involved. 



For fishing from rocks or piers the live sand-eel may 

 be tried, or ray's liver, lugworm, squid, a piece of mackerel, 

 soft crab, small flat fish, or other of the many baits already 

 mentioned. Where the fish can be approached, some ray's 

 liver should be placed in a coarse sack and fastened to a 

 cord and sunk by means of stones. The perfumed oils 

 emanating from this scent-packet are very likely to attract 

 the fish to the spot, where, if they find a tenderly arranged 

 morsel of ray's liver awaiting them, they will surely appreciate 

 the thoughtfulness of the angler and meet his wishes in the 

 matter. 



