PRAWNING 



hither and thither among the overhanging seaweed for 

 his prey. On a good tide a dexterous fisherman with 

 the spoon-net may capture as many as two hundred or 

 three hundred prawns. 



Fishing with the gin is, perhaps, more generally 

 popular. It is a less laborious and less wetting pursuit, 

 and partakes rather more of the nature of angling. 

 The prawner is provided with a couple — or more if 

 he chooses — of circular, leaded nets. Each *'gin" has 

 a half-hoop crossing it, to which is attached a 6-feet 

 cord, carrying a couple of large corks. The net is 

 baited with some lure, preferably crab, and gently 

 lowered to the bottom of a sea gully. In a couple 

 of minutes or so the top cork may be hoisted by means 

 of the hooked pole and the net gently lifted upwards. 

 If the venture is a lucky one, the fisherman may find 

 within his gin as many as three, four, or even half 

 a dozen fine prawns. I remember taking seven at one 

 hoist during this last season. That, of course, is an 

 exceptional catch. 



Prawning with the gin-net is much favoured by 

 ladies, many of whom make capital baskets. The best 

 fishing is usually to be got close to the edge of the tide. 

 With a fresh summer breeze and a blue sea in front 

 of one, the white cliffs of Albion towering behind, 

 plenty of prawns coming into the nets, and pleasant 

 companions, there are few more delightful ways of 

 spending an afternoon on the Sussex coast. 



Let me try to depict an expedition of summer prawn- 

 ing. The tide is a morning one, and it is necessary, 

 therefore, to make an early start. Breakfast at seven 

 o'clock on a morning in hot August is no great hard- 

 ship, and, the party having assembled, we start off 

 on cycles, duly equipped for the business of the day. 

 A trouting creel is sometimes used as a receptacle for 



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