178 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



in, let go" was the order of the day for some time. Every 

 inch I gained slowly and laboriously would be gone 

 suddenly with a rush. By the sudden slackening of 

 the line, which occurred every now and then, succeeded 

 by another downward drag, I knew I was in a conger. 

 After ten minutes I got him to the surface, and another 

 five minutes got him within gaffing distance. A clever 

 stroke from my veteran friend landed him in the boat 

 and the game was won, IS^lbs. on single gut. 



This practically closed the day's proceedings, as the 

 bottom of the boat was pretty well covered with fish, 

 and, as she was only a 14-footer, and there were three 

 of us and the conger, we were a little cramped. 



On getting ashore we totted up our catch : 7 score 

 pouting, best If Ib. ; 5 whiting, best 31bs. ; 2 horse- 

 mackerel ; 7 cod, best two 8lbs. each ; one conger, IS^lbs. 



We were ashore by 2.30 p.m., and had been just four 

 hours and a half afloat. 



This, I think, was my record day on this mark for 

 weight and variety of fish. 



Fishing here on another occasion with Mr. R. C. 

 Clements, of " boom" fame, we had a record day among 

 the pouting. 



We slipped out to " Our Wreck," quietly determined to 

 try and find the mark, but, owing to a slight and rather 

 foolish mistake, we roamed about for an hour or more 

 before we got the right spot. Once in position the fun 

 soon commenced, and we pulled up pouting anyhow. 

 We were keeping no fish under a 7in. standard, and had 

 very few to return. Again at slack tide we got amongst 

 the cod, Mr. Clements taking three and the writer two 

 good fish, from 61bs. to 91bs. each. Owing to not getting 

 on the ground at once much valuable time was lost, and, 

 as during the second half of the time the tide ran against 

 the wind and the boat kept sheering off the mark, we 

 did not get nearly as many fish as otherwise we should 

 have done. The ultimate result was that my boatmate 

 got Gllbs. 4ozs. of fish, and my own catch was 551bs., 

 the difference being made up by his extra cod, which, 

 curious to say, weighed exactly 61bs, 4ozs. 





