3&8 MODERN SEA FISHING 



coalfish, but is fairly well supplied in that respect. On many 

 parts of the English coast he is always termed the 2v hi ting 

 pollack, and the great North-country and Scotch name for him 

 is lythe. Other local names are heat, leet, laithe, skeet, green- 

 ling, and greenfish. 



The pollack is essentially a rock fish, loving a free run of 

 water, and frequenting the shallows rather than the deeps. I 

 have caught large lythe in only four or five feet of water, and in 

 the evening known them leap up into the air after a bright 

 spinning bait as it was being drawn into the boat which had 

 just passed over them. In the daytime they very much 

 resemble pike, lying hidden among seaweed, ready to pounce 

 out upon any passing prawn or fish, but rarely troubling to 

 come to midwater or to the surface. Thus it has often been 

 said that pollack fishing in the daytime is a useless proceeding, 

 the fact being that the anglers have been at fault in not sinking 

 their baits to bring them within sight of the quarry. I am not 

 speaking of small fish, but of the large lythe one finds in the 

 north of Britain. Small fish of one to four pounds are often 

 very plentiful in fairly deep water where the bottom is rocky, 

 perhaps congregating together in some little basin among the 

 rocks, or other favourite place. There ragworm or live shrimp 

 fished near the bottom would probably be successful. When 

 such a spot is discovered, the marks should be very carefully 

 taken. 



A friend whose veracity is beyond question tells me that 

 once when leaning over the boat and looking down through 

 the clear, smooth water, he saw a strange sight. A pollack of 

 6 Ibs. rose from the bottom and seized and absorbed a rubber 

 eel which was hanging motionless from the boat. The day 

 was sunny, which makes the incident the more remarkable. 



The various methods of pollack fishing have already been 

 described in previous chapters. Amongst others there is drift 



