FISHES. 503 



" The five men-boat is forty feet long, fifteen broad, and 

 twenty-five tons burden. It is so called, though navigated by 

 six men and a boy ; because one of the men is hired to cook, and 



does not share in the profits with the other five All our able 



fishermen go in these boats to the herring fisliery at Yarmouth, 

 the latter end of September, and return about the middle of 

 November. The boats are then laid up until the beginning of 

 Lent, at which time they go off in them to the edge of the Dog- 

 ger, and otlier places, to fish for turbot, cod, ling, skate, &c. 

 They always take two cobles on board, and when they come upon 

 their ground, anchor the boat, throw out the cobles, and fish in 

 the same manner as those do who go from the shore in a coble ; 

 with this difl!erence only, that here each man is provided with 

 double the quantity of lines, and, instead of waiting the return 

 of the tide in the coble, return to the boat, and bait their other 

 lines J thus hauling one set, and shooting another, every turn of 

 tide. They commonly run into the harbour twice a-week, to 

 deliver their fish. The five-men-boat is decked at each end, 

 but open in the middle, and has two long sails. 



" The best bait for all kinds of fish, is fresh herring cut in 

 pieces of a proper size ; and, notwithstanding what has been 

 said to the contrary, they are taken there at any time in the 

 winter, and all the spring, whenever the fishermen put down 

 some nets for that purpose : the five-men-boats always take some 

 nets for that end. Next to herrings are the lesser lampreys, 

 which come all winter by land-carriage from Tadcaster. The 

 next baits in esteem are small haddocks cut in pieces, s.ind- 

 worrns, muscles, and limpets ; and, lastly, when none of these 

 can be found, they use bullock's liver. The hooks used there 

 are much smaller than those employed at Iceland and New- 

 foundland. Experience has shown that the larger fish will take 

 a living small one upon the hook, sooner than any bait that can 

 be put on ; therefore they use such as the fish can swallow. The 

 hooks are two inches and a half long in the shank ; and near an 

 inch wide between the shank and the point. The line is made 

 of small cording, and is always tanned before it is used. All 

 the rays and turbots are extremely delicate in their choice of 

 baits : if a piece of herring or haddock has been twelve hours out 

 of the sea, and then used as a bait, they will not touch it." 



Such is the manner of fishing for those fish that usually keep 



