FISH STATIONARY. 213 



Prior to the Blank-krok being used, several circular holes 

 are made in the ice, through which it is lowered to near the 

 bottom ; where, by a jerking kind of motion, it is moved up 

 and down, so as to give it as natural an appearance as may be. 



The Met-trad is substituted for the rod, and this in the 

 winter is usually the case, whether the bait be real or arti- 

 ficial. When the fish bites, the angler, without touching the 

 line in any way, hanks it, so to say, between the Met-trad, 

 which he holds in his right hand, and the Met-skofvel, which 

 he has in his left, so that in the course of a few seconds the 

 captive is secured. From the hooks being unbarbed, to 

 slacken the line in the least, would in all probability lose the 

 fish. As soon as it is on the ice, a mere shake of the line 

 suffices to disengage the hook, which done, the Blank-krok 

 is forthwith lowered to the bottom again ; and it may be that 

 in less than a minute another prisoner is made. 



As fish, especially perch, for which the smaller Blank-krok 

 is principally intended, are very stationary in the winter 

 the fisherman is, at times, obliged to cut many apertures 

 before he discovers the haunt of the fish ; but this point once 

 ascertained, he is usually well rewarded for his trouble. 



A southerly wind, accompanied with sleet, is, I am told, 

 the best weather in which to bring this and similar devices 

 into use, and if all goes well, great things may be done. A 

 friend assured me, that under favourable circumstances, 

 he has himself, in the course of a few hours, captured by 

 this method from eighty to one hundred pounds weight of 

 perch, pike, &c. 



The Lak-Skifva is another form of Blank-krok, and, as the 

 name denotes, chiefly intended for the capture of the Lake, 

 or Burbot ; but it is seldom used, excepting during the 



