NOVEMBER 165 



consideration at Deal, must here be specially noted, as 

 about three hours before and after low-water it is 

 impossible to get off, owing to the large expanse of mud- 

 banks and the little water that remains in the gut or 

 channel. The most favourable tides are the neaps, as 

 then there is not so much ebb and flow, and hence the 

 distance gone over by the boats in order to cover the 

 fish is not so great. One of the secrets to my mind in 

 success while fishing for these flat-fish, is to get well out 

 to sea with the ebb, and come gradually in on the 

 flood, because these fish especially have a habit of keep- 

 ing in shallow water, gradually working up the creeks 

 and over the mud banks with the advancing tide, after 

 the shrimps, and dropping down again towards the open 

 as the tide recedes. The question, then, of tide should 

 be settled before any arrangements are made as to the 

 day's fishing. If one finds on inquiry that the Southend 

 times for high and low water are suitable, the same 

 figures can practically be taken for this place. This 

 reminds me that in my introductory remarks I have not 

 said anything as to how to get at Leigh. Situated in 

 Essex, it is, as I have said, within three miles of Southend, 

 on the Tilbury and Southend line, and is easily reached 

 from either St. Pancras or Fenchurch-street. From 

 the latter station a third-class day return ticket may be 

 had for half-a-crown. Of hotels there are several good, 

 although I can only speak by personal experience on 

 one, "The Ship." I dined there the last time I was 

 down, and the landlord, who is the local agent of 

 B.S.A.S. gives a tariff to the members. There is no 

 difficulty in hiring boatmen, and capable and competent 

 men can be got at a fair charge for boat and bait. 



The baits in use at Leigh and Southend are lugwojm, 

 ragworm and shrimp, the latter either alive or boiled, 

 and the tackle used varies from the paternoster to a 

 sort of miniature trot line, armed with ten hooks. 



For Leigh I am inclined to think that the best rig is 

 witn two hooks above the lead and two below. Many 

 anglers use all their hooks below, and state that this is 

 the correct and natural method. This may be so, but 



