30 SEA FISH; 



varieties which most concern the fisherman who con- 

 fines his wanderings to the British coast,, as they are 

 rarely met with, and more rarely known to take a bait, 

 under our cloudy skies ; and mention would not have 

 been made of them here, were it not for the sport they 

 afford the voyager within the tropics, where their un- 

 wearying pursuit of the unfortunate flying fish, and 

 the eagerness with which an imitation of their active 

 and glittering little victims is seized, but too often for 

 them leads to capture. The line and hooks for this 

 description of fishing will be referred to when speak- 

 ing of the outfit to take abroad. A very destructive 

 bait is prepared as follows, and is so easy to construct, 

 that fitting up two or three will be found an agreeable 

 pastime on the voyage out : * procure a piece of oak 

 or other strong grained wood, of about five inches 

 long ; cut tapering from head to tail like a small fish ; 

 cut a deep longitudinal groove both above and below it, 

 making a notch at both head and tail (vide woodcut, 

 No. 1) ; then twist a piece of stout brass or copper wire 

 into the groove, leaving a ring at each end, at the 

 notches, as in No. 2 ; bore a hole through the body 

 with a gimlet or hot wire at A, and into each side 

 secure with hot pitch a tuft of bristles from a sweep- 

 ing brush, for wings, and another shorter tuft, laid 

 flat, secured with waxed thread, for a tail ; prepare a 

 long narrow strip of sheet lead, wind it firmly and 



* Sailors often use a strip of white rag as a bait. 



