CHAPTER XI. 



November 



SEA FISHING AT LEIGH. 



FOR the late autumn sea angling I purpose describ- 

 ing a near-by resort, easily accessible to the 

 metropolitan angler. This is Leigh, in Essex, a 

 small fishing village at the mouth of the Thames 

 in close proximity to the renowned Southend-on-Sea, 

 whose shrimps and pickled cockles are the delight of the 

 cheap tripper. The little old village is rather further up 

 the estuary of the Thames than even Southend-on-Mud, 

 as some wags describes the Essex watering-place. Here 

 one cannot expect to capture the giant cod of the more 

 southerly fishing stations, but one can always count on 

 some sport amongst the flat fish. Flounders, plaice, 

 and dabs are plentiful, while out in the fairway, by the 

 Swatch Way Buoy, not only dabs but also codling and 

 whiting are to be taken during the winter months. As 

 every Londoner is aware, Leigh is the headquarters of 

 the shrimp trawlers, or bawleys, as they are called. 

 This latter term is evidently only a corruption of the 

 word boiley or boiler, so called because they sort and 

 boil their shrimps on board. On the other hand, the 

 cockle gatherers boil their captures on shore, and along 

 the west side of the village are to be seen their quaint boil- 

 ing sheds. These are frequently nothing more than a 

 roof built over the hull of an old bawley. The nature of 

 one of these sheds is easily recognised by the gigantic 

 pile of shells which adorn one side, thrown out after 

 picking over and removing the cockles. 



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