Bait Angling for Common Fishes 



the bait the strike should be followed up 

 with a gentle jerk of sufficient force to em- 

 bed the hook firmly and to rouse the fish 

 into action. If he is from ten to fifteen 

 pounds it is no child's play to land him; 

 sometimes he will shake like a bulldog, 

 then come up like a lamb, only at the last 

 moment to give such a sudden kick as to 

 easily rack the nerves of old hands. On 

 such occasions the only thing to do is to 

 keep a tight line, stop reeling in and wait 

 till his tantrums are over, for without a net, 

 when he has a kicking fit on, he is liable to 

 make short work of the tackle while he is 

 being lifted from the water. Many a good 

 sized fish is lost at the edge of the boat. 

 To be cock-sure often means a slip, for one 

 of those sudden plunges gives him his free- 

 dom. The advantages of fishing for plaice 

 and flatfish is this, they can be fished for 

 at any time of the day or night; no waiting 

 for tides or certain kinds of weather; they 

 are hungry all the time, and always willing 

 to take what is offered to them. 



