GREAT BRITAIN. 161 



fresh breeze is blowing, and then it rises freely at a gaudy 

 artificial fly, roughly made of red and white feathers, but is 

 more choice in its selection of food than is the coal-fish. 

 The boat should be rowed along very gently at about four 

 or five hundred yards from the shore, or in a suitable 

 locality, and the fly be allowed to float from twenty to 

 thirty yards from the stern of the boat. Although the 

 young flood or slack water is generally best for this fishing 

 in some places, the best sport is to be had at high water. 

 Off Plymouth it has been observed that, as a rule, falling 

 rater gives the best sport in the open sea, but at the points 

 >f bays special configurations of the shore and outlying 

 ;ks may alter this general rule. Pollack of small or 

 loderate size will also come close in shore where ridges of 

 )ck jut out under a few fathoms of water. A little rain is 

 ften conducive to the success of this fishing. At different 

 >laces and likewise different fishermen will praise various 

 >rts of bait for whining, but live sand-eels would appear 

 be as good as any, when procurable. A fisherman in 

 le Field observes that failing these he finds as the two 

 >t baits a peculiar red india-rubber eel on one line, and 

 the other a spinner with the back of the hook dressed 

 dth prepared fish skin and a piece of the same skin on 

 the point of the hook, for which is substituted, when pro- 

 curable, a slice from the tail of a longnose or mackerel. 

 But it is not always easy to tempt a pollack with bait while 

 pilchards are about. 



Baits. Sand-eels (Ammodytes) are their favourite bait, 

 or an imitation insect known as " the Belgian grub," which 

 is modelled in plaster on to the shank of a hook, and 

 painted red and white ; it is fitted with gut and a swivel. 

 The end grub should be larger than the rest, with a piece 

 of red india-rubber, resembling a brown elastic band, 

 VOL. I E. I. M 



