18 THE SALT OF MY LIFE 



with which the salt-water angler has to contend. 

 Scrope, author of one of the most delightful books 

 ever written on salmon-fishing, owned himself 

 too sick to trust himself on the sea, so that his 

 criticism of sea fishing, on grounds already alluded 

 to, is wholly without value. Anglers with a pre- 

 disposition towards the distressing malady need 

 not therefore conclude that sea-fishing and com- 

 fort cannot be made synonymous. They can 

 either fish from the beach or the pier, or they can, 

 better still, choose a holiday resort with an estuary 

 that affords fishing grounds as smooth as the 

 Thames at Oxford. There are many rivers in Eng- 

 land, of which the tidal reaches give in summer 

 bass of 10 Ibs. and over, and in autumn codling 

 and whiting in numbers. Round the island of 

 Santa Catalina, in California, the tuna, or tunny 

 the largest fish which sportsmen seek with the 

 rod, is taken of immense weight in water nearly 

 as calm, while in many an Australian creek the 

 sea-fishing is most artistic where no ripple stirs 

 the surface, and the boat, moored fore and aft, 

 lies as still as on a pond. Now and again, during 

 a spell of very fine July weather, we also get the 

 open sea as calm as this six or eight miles from 

 land; but such conditions cannot be relied upon 

 for long together, and those who have any fear 

 of sickness will do well to choose an estuary, where 

 they can be sure of calm water, no matter from 



