192 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



the boat up. Our total catch on fresh sprat bait was 24 

 codling, of which my friend took ten, the writer seven, 

 and the boatman seven, and seven score of fine whiting 

 and large pouting, altogether a fair day for so late in the 

 year in a very disappointing season. 



I took the best two cod away to the North of England, 

 where I spent Christmas ; and they were very acceptable, 

 fish being very scarce everywhere owing to the gales. I 

 am told that the same day at Billingsgate 15/- was paid 

 for an lllb. codfish, and that 2/6 a pound was offered in 

 vain for fresh turbot. The crews of the fishing boats, 

 weatherbound by the storm of the preceding week, pre- 

 ferred, no doubt, to spend their Christmas ashore, like 

 the rest of us all. 



In 1901 and 1902 the scarcity of cod was even more 

 marked than it had been in 1900. This winter (1903), 

 however, seems to be better in this respect. Quite a 

 number of large codfish have been taken in the Downs, 

 up to 351bs. in weight each, while one angler, on 

 November 28th, had nine cod, weighing 671bs., fishing 

 close inshore off Sandown Castle. 



And now my task 'is ended. The year of angling has 

 gone by, and a number of different methods of rod-fish- 

 ing have been dealt with to a certain extent. There may 

 be nothing strikingly novel in the methods advocated, but 

 they have borne the test of personal experience, and 

 have, in no instance, been advocated merely on the 

 authority of some other angler. They may be 

 faulty, but they certainly catch fish, and that in a sports- 

 manlike way. 



That my readers may take as much pleasure in read- 

 ing these scrappy chapters as the writer has had in 

 putting them together is the farewell wish of their 

 fellow-angler, the Author. 



TIGHT LINES. 



R. W. SIMPSON & Co., LTD., PRINTERS, RICHMOND AND LONDON. 



