CHAPTER IV. 



ROD-FISHING AND EAND-LINING. 



Angling from Pier-heads — Ground-haiting — Paternostering — 

 Fishing with Float Tachle—Brift-line Fishing — Fly-fish- 

 ing — Angling in Harbours— Smelt and Sand-smelt Fishing 

 — Angling from the Ojpen Shore — Hand-lining — Talcing 

 Marks. 



lEB-HEAD, harbour, and shore fishing are 

 all peculiarly adapted to those persons 

 who, when in boats on the restless ocean, 

 are wont to render a votive, albeit unwill- 

 ing offering to the sea god. It must be 

 acknowledged that, as a general rule, the 

 quantity of fish taken from these places is 

 not great ; but, more often than not, this is 

 owing rather to lack of knowledge and skill on the part of 

 the angler than to any scarcity of fish. I say this advisedly, 

 for there are a few salt-water anglers who rarely fish from 

 piers without being successful. At the same time, there are 

 certain places — carefully avoided, no doubt, by the said skilful 

 anglers — where, from causes not easily determined, the fish 

 are few and small. It should be remembered that fish which 

 frequent harbours and haunt the piles of piers are fished 

 for a great deal, and get shy, like, but not to the same extent 

 as, their harassed fresh-water brethren. Fine tackle, therefore, 

 is very advisable, and the importance of ground-baiting can 

 hardly be overrated. 

 "When about to fish from a pier-head, or, indeed, anywhere 



