276 THE WRASSE. 



ways ; which, if they do not break the tackle between them, serves 

 considerable to enhance the sport. 



Very large ones may also sometimes be taken by angling in the 

 deep pools in the rocks, left by the receding tide, where these fish 

 may often be seen swimming about in the deep clear water. You 

 must manage then to keep as much out of sight as you well can ; 

 using a good long rod, and having your line sufficiently leaded to 

 sink the bait readily to the bottom. Drop carefully in, letting the 

 bait sink to the very bottom, then draw it gradually up, and feinking 

 it suddenly down within view of the fish, but not approaching so 

 near as to discover yourself, when most probably one will come 

 forward and seize on the bait. See that he gets it well into his 

 mouth, and then strike and play him till you tire him out, and af- 

 ter landing him, give his fellows in the pool a quarter of an hour 

 or ten minute's respite, to recover from their alarm, before you try 

 them again ; by which means you will be very likely to catch one 

 or two more. 



But the best fishing for them, and where the largest are taken, 

 is in water of a moderate depth, in some sheltered nook, washing 

 the rocky cliffs of the open sea, where the angling rod must be 

 laid aside, and stouter tackling adopted. For this purpose, a stout 

 line of cord must be employee}, at the end of which should be a 

 loop, to which the stone strap is to be attached, being merely a 

 small piece of common twine put on double. By means of the 

 latter, a moderate sized stone by way of a sinker must be attached 

 to the line ; above which, at about a foot and a half from the 

 stone, as also at three feet above it, should be fixed a hook, having 

 a snead about nine inches long of ordinary sized whipcord. In 

 casting out, care must be taken to keep the hand at least the length 

 of the snead above the upper hook ; otherwise a great risk will be 

 incurred of running this hook into your hand, of which some of 

 the inexperienced have ere now had woeful experience. The line 

 may be cast out tolerably far, and the stone should be of just a 

 sufficient weight to travel slowly homewards along the bottom with 

 the wash of the sea; the line being all the time kept just tight 

 with the stone. A bite can readily be detected by your feeling 

 two or three smait jerks, but as the fish generally hook themselves, 

 it is unnecessary you should strike; and a good tugging struggle 

 informs you when the hook has taken a fast hold. 



It often occurs in this sort of fishing, that the stone becomes 



