THE COD-FISHERY 



gill-net had arisen ; and a few of its advocates main- 

 tain that in course of time it will completely supersede 

 line-fishing, except where inshore work is concerned ; a 

 statement which affords great amusement to the older 

 fishermen, for they know better. 



As has been already said, the Banks hand-line fishery 

 differs mainly from that carried on by the " Islandais " in 

 that it does not usually take place from the deck of the 

 smack. Each member of the crew has his own cock-boat 

 or dory and, having sculled himself out some distance, 

 with his tackle and his bait-store, throws in his line. From 

 a sportsman's point of view, what could be finer? The 

 little boat is being tossed in any and every direction ; 

 often the fish come up as fast as ever the angler can haul 

 them in ; often, again, there is the increased excitement 

 of irregular bites, when our man will catch two fish in 

 three minutes, and then has to wait three hours before he 

 gets another bite ; then succeeds again, by fits and starts, 

 pulling up sometimes one per minute, sometimes one 

 per hour. Further excitement comes at the moment of 

 " landing " the fish. True, a cod is not a tarpon, to jump 

 upon you unawares or pull you out of your boat or tow 

 you along, the moment he is hooked ; but he is a heavy, 

 muscular beast, all the same, and in a boat that was 

 never intended to hold more than two men, you can't 

 " wrastle " with a thing that is in a very great hurry to 

 get away, and that turns the scale at three-quarters of a 

 hundredweight, without meeting with an occasional 

 upset. 



But there is a less sporting view of the matter to be 



102 



