JULY 115 



after about five minutes' good sport, through the hook, an 

 unreliable electro-tinned pattern, breaking at the bend. 

 As the tide strengthened and the light grew stronger 

 the larger fish ceased biting, and small pouts alone were 

 taken. One peculiar occurrence was observed, namely, 

 as our stern-sheets angler was drawing up two pouting 

 on a long streamer, a squid followed the tail fish, seized 

 hold of it, and, pulling it off the hook, departed with it. 



As the small-pout catching speedily palled, we pulled 

 up our anchor and rowed home over a glassy sea, getting 

 a couple of mackerel with the spinner on the way in, 

 and landing ashore about 6.30 a.m., ready for breakfast 

 and the 9 a.m. train for London. 



The total bag for the night, besides pouting, consisted 

 of thirteen mackerel, thirteen conger (best 181bs.), one 

 cod of 201bs., one crab (11 in. across the shell), one sea 

 bream 2lbs., and one pollack 21bs. 



A boat which we met coming out as we were return- 

 ing fished all day and only took a score of pouting and 

 six Jib. sea bream. 



There is little doubt that the best hours to go fishing 

 in the sea at this time of the year are those of the 

 darkness, and that even close to London good bags may 

 be made even at midsummer. It has been objected 

 that rod-fishing for conger is poor sport, and that the 

 conger gives little play. One can only say to those who 

 have not experienced catching a big conger on the rod 

 that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. One 

 author objects that the loss of time is prodigious, and goes 

 on to say, speaking of the capture of one of 24 Jib., "In 

 the time it took me to kill that particular fish on the 

 rod I should probably have accounted for three or four 

 on the hand-line." This is surely a poor view to take of 

 a sport; the killing offish is a secondary consideration, 

 the skill needed to succeed is everything. Four trout 

 can be killed on the worm, and ten with a net in the 

 time necessary to catch one with the dry fly, and yet no 

 sportsman therefore recommends the worm as pre- 

 ferable to the fly. 



In conclusion, one or two practical hints may be given 



