lO THE FISH OP DOKSET. 



practised professionally as on most other coasts, and except railing 

 for mackerel when the shoals break up nearly all the hooking is 

 done by amateurs. The lines for mackerel are usually about 12 or 

 15 fathoms of fairly fine water-cord, to the end of which is attached 

 a lead weight of about one or two pounds. A little above the lead 

 is a small stick or piece of wire with a hole at one end through 

 which the line is passed, and to the other end of which is attached 

 a fine piece of snood about three yards long with a foot or two of 

 strong gut at the end, to which the hook is fastened. The best bait 

 is a piece off a mackerel's tail cut to resemble a small fish, or, failing 

 this, a bright tin or copper-plated spinner. These are towed behind 

 a boat under sail, and if care be taken to regulate the length of the 

 line and snood to the weight of the leads, five or even seven lines 

 can be used at one time. Hand lines vary in size and strength 

 according to the fish expected, from stout conger line to fine lines for 

 pout, the best rig being a conical lead of square section, having a 

 hole at the top through which passes a strap of leather about four 

 inches long, having a hole at each end to which the line is made 

 fast. Round the leather by a couple of turns a piece of brass wire 

 is twisted, leaving the ends about ten inches from the leather, and 

 to these ends the hooks on gut are fastened. Pollock lines are 

 best made of horse-hair twisted up the thickness required and 

 knotted together, each link being laid up alternately right and 

 left handed, which gives great elasticity to the whole line and pre- 

 vents a good deal the chance of breakage from the hook fouling a 

 rock, which is constantly happening while pollock fishing. The 

 best baits are sand-eels, rag worm, shrimps, and prawns, used alive, 

 either stationary or moving slowly along near the rocks and sea- 

 weed where the pollock love to lurk. Long lines or trots consist of 

 a back of stout line of any length you like with a hook on about a 

 yard or so of snood eveiy two fathoms. The hooks are baited and 

 the line shot on likely ground, where the fish hook themselves. By 

 this means often large cod, skate, and conger are taken on ground 

 not suited for trawling. All fish except, perhaps, one or two, are 

 cannibals, therefore, the best baits are fish of some sort, the fresher 





