RAILING AND WHIFPINa. 79 



the line a little, -whicli lias the effect of raising the bait a 

 foot or two. This refers to trailing from a boat. If the 

 angler is spinning from rocks, as he very well can, casting 

 out after the manner described in Chapter Y., he can fish near 

 the bottom by allowing his bait, when cast out, to sink be- 

 fore commencing to draw it back. Casting from the shore is 

 as useful in pollack as in bass fishing, and is not half so 

 well known as it ought to be. 



The best natural bait for spinning is the sand-eel; next, 

 but not far distant, is a young conger about 6in. or 7in. 

 long. It is a most killing bait, and the great success of the 

 red indiarubber sand-eel, as it is called, is no doubt owing to 

 its resemblance to this fish. Neither sand-eels nor other small 

 eels need spin. Both ragworms and lobworms are also used 

 as whiffing baits (see page 29). Any small fish, mounted on a 

 Chapman spinner (see page 29), will take pollack and coal- 

 fish, and any glittering or gaudy artificial bait will be found 

 killing. The Clipper bait already mentioned (see page 29) is 

 excellent, but hardly so good as a red phantom minnow, 

 about 4in. long. The indiarubber band bait (see page 29) is 

 also very good. Perhaps the best artificial bait of all is the 

 red indiarubber sand-eel, either with or without a baby 

 spinner at the head. It is usually mounted on one large 

 hook. I find the addition of a large triangle to this bait, 

 mounted on three inches of gimp, a great advantage. 



Professional fishermen, and also amateurs, sometimes go 

 pollack fishing in sailing vessels. In that case, success 

 depends principally on the boat going over the right ground, 

 and the lines being sufficiently leaded. As a rule, a lead of 

 one, and sometimes two pounds weight, is necessary, when, I 

 need hardly say, a rod cannot be used. Trailing a bait be- 

 hind a sailing boat is called reeling, or railing; behind a 

 rowing boat, whiffing. I have preferred to use the fresh-water 

 terms in this book, as the methods described originated in 

 fresh-water angling. A very curious bait is used for pollack 

 in Torbay. It is called the Belgian grub, and consists of a 

 plaster of Paris caterpillar, moulded on the shank of a hook, 

 painted yellow or white, with a red head. Three or four of 



