SHRIMPING, MUSSELLING 



this line has been run out another is bent on by its free 

 end, and, in its turn, has a third joined to it in the same 

 way as before, till all the lines are used up and stretch 

 perhaps two or three miles out to sea, lying across the 

 tide so that the ends of line that bear the hooks are 

 kept by the force of the current at right-angles to the 

 main line. 



But before the last of the lines has been allowed to 

 sink, another weighted cord has been fastened to it a 

 few yards from the hooked end and secured to a second 

 flagged buoy as before. Now comes half an hour's 

 perhaps an hour's rest for the men ; it is probably all 

 they will get till the fishing is ended for the day; for 

 many boats carry an extra set of lines ready to be shot as 

 soon as these are pulled up. At the end of the half-hour 

 or hour, one of the buoy-lines is dragged up, and brings 

 with it the first part of the main-line. These men are 

 now pulling up from eight to ten pounds' worth of fish, 

 and the lines are worth even more ; no wonder they haul 

 in carefully. The fish are coming to the top at last 

 haddock, halibut, skate, ling, cod, gurnard, turbot, eels, 

 and plaice ; rarely soles, for they can seldom be persuaded 

 to bite at a bait ; they prefer a diet of mud, sewage, and 

 seaweed. 



Some of the hooks are destitute of both fish and bait, 

 which means that the " five-fingers " and the crabs have 

 been indulging in an easily acquired meal ; other hooks 

 bear mere useless lumber: sea-spiders, crabs, and star- 

 fish that have been led to their ruin through over-much 

 greed. Occasionally the jawless "hag-fish" appears; 



56 



