FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 



is a favourite station for both bass and grey mullet, chiefly from the 

 Passage Bridge, the bait for bass being squid, soft crab, shrimp or 

 mackerel, and that for mullet macaroni or ragworm. We now come to a 

 long stretch of coast on which bass and small pollack are the fish that 

 most engage the angler's attention. They are caught at Lyme Regis in 

 boats of an evening, baiting with live prawn. At Seaton, they are taken 

 by railing with rubber baits or white flies, and bass are also caught from 

 the bridge, with squid or soft crab bait. There is also good rough ground 

 for bream and pollack several miles from land, but smooth water is 

 necessary. At Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, the bass are caught 

 from the beach, with herring bait. At Exmouth and Teignmouth, they 

 are caught in the estuaries with live sand-eel for bait. Until recently, 

 it was customary to let the boats drift at Teignmouth between the buoys 

 and the footbridge, but of late years local fishermen have adopted the 

 Exmouth plan of anchoring in the tideway. Most of the best bass at 

 Brixham and Dartmouth are caught from the rocks, either alongshore 

 or a little way from land (p. 343). A little distance from Salcombe 

 is Bolt Head, with good pollack fishing in fine weather, and Plymouth is 

 one of the finest all-round stations for fishing on this part of the coast, 

 with bass and pollack from the rocks, by casting with flies or using leaded 

 tackle with pilchard bait; pollack and grey mullet from the pier under 

 the Hoe, baiting with ragworm (mostly at night), and whiting round the 

 Eddystone, with lugworm or herring bait. 



SOUTH CORNWALL. As far as the Land's End, pollack and bream, 

 with a sprinkling of blue and porbeagle sharks, and conger at night, 

 are the characteristic fish now met with. It is true that bass are caught 

 at both Looe and Fowey — at the former from anchored boats in the river, 

 baiting with pilchard, and at the latter, also in the river, baiting with 

 green crab — but this is not a famous neighbourhood for bass, and the grey 

 mullet is rarely caught on the rod, chiefly, no doubt, for lack of suitable 

 sheltered spots to fish in. There is, however, good pollack fishing almost 

 anywhere along the south Cornish coast, the better fish being found on 

 rough ground from five to ten miles out, and pilchard being the favourite 

 bait, as well as that most easily obtained in summer. Bass are found 

 again at Falmouth, round the rocks on the castle side, baiting with pilchard, 

 and a few are caught at Mevagissey, either round Chapel Point or close 

 to the Gwingeas. Penzance, on the other hand, is not famous for bass, 

 but its pollack, conger and large skate may usually be reckoned on. Large 

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