58 LINE-FISHING. 



The fish thus caught are turbot, brill, haddock, skate, 

 sole, and other flat fish, besides occasional cod. Herrings 

 are also trawled for on the English coast. It is unques- 

 tionably a wholesale system of fishing, yielding large re- 

 turns ; but, from the manner in which it sweeps the bottom 

 clear of everything that comes within its meshes, there 

 can be no doubt that it is injurious in many localities, 

 and it ought not to be allowed too near the shore. 

 Another remedy for over-fishing generally would be to 

 legislate for the cod, haddock, and the like, as we legis- 

 late for the salmon ; and to establish a close-time for 

 each fish, according to the occurrence of its spawning 

 season. 



We are indebted to Mr. Cobb for the introduction of 

 a new and improved mode of line-fishing for cod. He 

 fixes a small piece of cork about twelve inches above the 

 hook ; this keeps the bait afloat, and shows it more 

 plainly to the hungry fish. The fishermen, when not 

 busy with the great or long-lines, fish with hand-lines, 

 each armed with a couple of hooks, and each hook sus- 

 pended in the water by its little buoy of cork. A heavy 

 weight attached to the lower extremity of the line keeps 

 it steady near the ground ; and in this way enormous 

 quantities of cod, as well as of haddock, whiting, hake, 

 ling, pollack, and coal-fish, are caught in British waters. 

 It is related that four hundred to five hundred and fifty 

 cod have been taken in ten hours by a single fisher ; 

 and oif the Dogger-Bank a couple of men have caught 

 eighty score in one day. 



A great portion of the dried cod which reaches our 

 markets is imported from Newfoundland, where cod- 

 curing is carried on as an extensive and profitable trade. 



