252 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



frequent rocks, either sunken or just above water, 

 so that all Cornwall suits them to a nicety. 



I have never seen pollack in London, but they 

 are easily recognisable, being olive-brown on the 

 back and sides, and the under jaw projects much 

 beyond the upper. They sometimes attain to 

 20 Ibs. weight. Being a very strong fish, we had to 

 use stout lines, large hooks, and that most killing 

 of bait, a sand-eel. " You may get a fish any 

 moment," said my boatman, as he rowed past a 

 beautiful rock shining like a jewel, where the 

 smooth water gently lapped it. And I did ; for a 

 sudden jerk compelled me to let out nearly all the 

 line, and I had a tremendous fight. It was most 

 exciting work, for I had to play it like a salmon. 

 At last it got tired. So did I ; and slowly it was 

 drifted alongside, and gaffed. It weighed about 

 12 Ibs., and we decided to hang it up on the mast 

 with a lump of rock-salt (which my boatman, for 

 some reason of his own, had brought on board) in 

 its head, for future consumption. It proved to be 

 a fair imitation of cod. 



This was the only pollack I caught on that 

 occasion, for a very good reason. The strong tide 

 had carried us away from the land off Pendennis 

 Castle, and I had just missed a fish by striking too 

 quickly, when bang went a cannon from the Castle 



