CHAP. xvi. Native Method of Live-baiting. 229 



lying on the very bottom, can well see what is passing over his head, 

 and between him and the light. 



The depressed shape of the head and fore part of the Murral's body, 

 especially of the under half, shows that it is frequently at the bottom ; 

 indeed, so depressed is the form, that it seemingly could not swim 

 with its mouth at right angles to the perpendicular, if it was not 

 assisted by an unusual length of dorsal and anal fin. 



There are two or three ways of live-baiting. There are the ordinary 

 English ways of running the hook just under the back fin, or through 

 the upper lip. Through the lip is unsatisfactory to my mind, both 

 because it gives a very tender hookhold, and is liable to give way 

 when taking your bait in and out of the water ; and also because it 

 interferes, I think, with the breathing of the bait, and kills it sooner 

 than it need. Of course you should not adopt the clumsy way I have 

 seen some follow of hooking the bait right through the body near the 

 tail, for you thereby make its movements in the water unnatural ; and, 

 I should think, soon kill it, for I am free to confess I never tried it 

 myself. Then, again, there is the somewhat cruel way not unfrequently 

 used with trimmers in England. Just slit the skin with a penknife, on 

 the side, half-way down the fish, close to the gills, insert a baiting 

 needle, and pass it carefully down the fish only just under the skin 

 till about over the anus, when you bring it out, and draw the loop of 

 the hook after the baiting needle till the hook is home to the entrance, 

 and lying close against the fish. But the natives have a very neat way 

 of baiting a live fish. They insert the hook at the anus, and pass it 

 carefully point foremost towards the back, but only just under the 

 skin ; and when they have got it well up to the bend of the hook, 

 they push the shank gently in up to the very head, so that the whole 

 hook is concealed under the skin of the bait, and lies with the back of 

 the hook towards the back of the fish, and the point towards the 

 stomach, for the hook has had a turn given to it in the process of 

 inserting the shank. Lastly, the hook is felt through the skin, and the 

 cord gently pulled, so as just to bring the point through the skin of 

 the bait. This last is a delicate operation, and serves the double 

 object of preventing the hook from slipping out of its concealments, 

 and of being the better prepared for hooking the fish that takes the 

 bait. This sounds a long operation, but is very quickly done, and 

 seems to injure the small fish but slightly. If you have gut attached 



