SPILLET-FISHING. 169 



Four or five knots an hour is the best rate of sailing 

 for killing coal-fish, and upon a coast where they are 

 abundant, the sport at times is excellent. 



Like the pike, the coal-fish is very indifferent to the 

 tackle used, which is generally very coarse. Not so 

 the mackerel ; he requires much delicacy of line and 

 bait to induce him to take. 



In light winds, or when the fish are out of humour, I 

 have killed mackerel by substituting a salmon casting- 

 line of single gut for the hempen snoud commonly 

 employed by fishermen, which, with a newly-cut bait of 

 phosphoric brilliancy commonly overcame his resolve 

 against temptation. But there are times when a change 

 of weather, or some inexplicable phenomena of sea or 

 sky, renders these fish dull and cautious ; for usually 

 it requires but trifling art to kill them. 



A little experience is necessary. The bait must be 

 cut from the freshest mackerel, and assimilated in size 

 and shape to the herring-fry, which they generally 

 follow ; and the way of the boat must be so regulated 

 as to preserve the deception by a sufficient velocity, 

 without breaking, by its rapidity, the mackerel's hold. 

 The mouth of this fish is particularly tender ; and if 

 care be not taken, many will drop from the hook before 

 they can be secured on board. 



Unaccustomed to the painful effects which friction 

 and salt water occasion hands unused to hemp, I trans- 

 ferred my line to an idle boy who proved a much more 

 fortunate coal-fisher than I, notwithstanding the 

 instructions of my friend Pattigo. 



We were bearing down to a glorious play of sea- 

 birds, and I got a gun uncased to practise at the gulls. 

 It was a curious and bustling scene. Above, thousands 



