SEA FISHING IN EUROPE 4^3 



II.-THE BALTIC 



A very few words must suffice to describe the somewhat colourless sport 

 obtainable in this land-locked, shallow, brackish sea. I have already mentioned 

 the plaice caught on the Warnemiinde pier in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and 

 a further curiosity of that pier lies in the fact that such river p' h ' 



fish as perch, bream, and even small pike, are hooked where g^^^ Water, 

 the light green sea waves mingle with the darker waters of 

 the outflowing Warnow. I never found boat - fishing very successful, for 

 the reason that no one knew the right grounds, and it was a mere matter 

 of guesswork. A few small mackerel and an occasional garfish were the 

 only results. The fishing in the river above its mouth .seemed to be entirely 

 in the hands of the professional netsmen, who watched very jealously any 

 Englishman who might happen to take a boat. I have sometimes been 

 accompanied for a couple of hours by one or more of these gentry, apparently 

 occupied with anything rather than my movements, yet keeping their craft 

 very close to my own. 



III.— THE FRENCH COAST 



The French coast offers sea fishing probably as good as our own, though 

 little advantage .seems to be taken of this, in many parts, by either Frenchmen 

 or English residents. An exception may be cited in the case of Calais, of the 

 fishing at which port readers of the Field are kept well informed by Mr. Charles 

 Payton, H.B.M. Consul, who writes in that journal as "Sarcelle." Mr. Payton 

 has kindly sent me a brief account of the fishing at Calais, . 



from which I have extracted the following information : — 

 Pollack and bass are scarce, but may be found on the rocky and weedy 

 ground near Blanc Nez and Gris Nez, between Calais and Boulogne. The pier 

 fishing is absolutely free and sometimes good. Lugworms for bait may be 

 bought in the Courgain, or fishing quarter, or of lads and girls who dig them 

 near the West Pier. P'ine scad are caught from this pier on summer evenings, 

 taking sardine or sprat bait freely. Also herring, going about six to the pound, 

 have, since 1898, been caught in numbers from January to March in the Bassin 



