i8o WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



dig me out. But I persevered and came up smiling and 

 muddy. There was a capital catch in the net this time, 

 and we were very elated. We were hurrying, too, to get in the 

 net before the passenger steamer should pass us, for the heavy 

 swell she makes throws a long, sweeping billow on the flat, 

 the roar of which may be heard across Breydon. Unfortu- 

 nately, the skipper yielded to the solicitations of the crowd 

 aboard to " go in closer, and see 'em ! " and before we could 

 get the fish-packed bight of the net in, in came the billow, 

 the retreat of which pulled the underside of the net out, let- 

 ting the fish slip away in a body. I could not help laugh- 

 ing, but what Jary said is not for these pages. 



Our total catch was not a despicable one ; and when Jary 

 bolted down on the last of the ebb to replenish his food-bag 

 and water-bottles, he took most of them with him, and 

 packed them off in boxes to the London market. 



The fish that at times find themselves with the smelts in 

 the net are exceedingly varied in species: flounders, bibs, gobies, 

 grey mullet, and shads. Sometimes, in October, great hauls 

 of codlings and whitings are made, and when news of this 

 gets adrift all available boats are secured by sea-anglers, and 

 good sport is obtained. Gluts of codling are rare. In 

 October, 1890, they came up Breydon in huge shoals. Young 

 pollacks, too, now and then, turn up in numbers, and occa- 

 sionally a coal-fish. I have records of grey and red gurnards 

 taken. A few years ago some small mackerel strayed here ; 

 and in 1906 I saw a fine scad hauled in with smelts. Lam- 

 perns, and rarely fine lampreys, are also taken ; and the 

 mysterious burbolt has once or twice been captured, but I 

 was not fortunate enough to see it. The old Breydoners 

 assure me they know it, and call it the sea eel-pout. 

 ****** 



A SMELTER'S REMINISCENCES 



Jary had left me in charge of the houseboat, and I was 

 glad to turn in for tea, for I could not get back to the Moor- 

 hen until " tide-up" in the early morning. I had just settled 

 to tea when " Snicker " hailed me. I offered him and his 

 mates a drink each, and they were glad of it. In the few 

 minutes of their stay beside the houseboat we started chatting 



