SOME BRITISH SEA FISHES AND FISHING 259 



fine cod ; next, a turbot, and so on, until we had a 

 boat-load to return with. 



One of our expeditions was especially for 

 whiting, 1 to a spot where an old wreck was 

 submerged. I never had such sport in my life ! 

 Fish after fish, often two at a time, kept tumbling 

 in, when suddenly the whiting ceased to bite, and 

 hooks began mysteriously to vanish, snapped off 

 by something big. 



" There be a girt skeat about, I reckon," said one 

 of the fishermen, and he proceeded to put out a 

 strong line and a big hook baited with a large 

 piece of whiting. A pause : the line tore through 

 his fingers, and he shouted to his mate for assist- 

 ance, while I stood by with the gaff. The two 

 men just managed to check the strain, and after 

 much struggling, there was slowly drawn into 

 sight, looking like a round table, a huge skate 

 with wings outspread, that offered tremendous 

 resistance. I gave it a prod with the gaff, nearly 



1 On January 31, 1905, a remarkable catch of whiting, 

 believed to constitute a world's record, was made by the 

 Grimsby steam trawler Arabian, which landed 130 boxes. 

 The vessel began trawling on the 27th, thus the great haul 

 was the result of only four days' fishing. The fish were in 

 excellent condition, and sold readily at from twelve shillings 

 to fourteen shillings a box. It is unusual to realise close 

 upon a hundred pounds for a four days' catch of this class 

 of fish. 



