LINE FISHING. 71 



train of fine-meshed untanned netting being used, with 

 the result of some of the larger sprats being caught ; 

 but the takes of these fish are so enormous every 

 winter by the sfcow-nets, to be presently described, that 

 the small number caught by drift-nets can hardly be 

 considered as of more than local importance. 



LINE FISHING. 



Under this head I may speak of two methods of 

 working in very general use by our sea fishermen. 

 These are by long-lines and hand-lines. One very 

 simple distinction between them is, that the latter are 

 practically kept in the hand of the individual fisherman 

 who uses them, whilst the former are put out or shot, 

 and then left to themselves for a longer or shorter 

 period, before the fishermen haul them in, and take off 

 the hooks such fish as may have been caught. 



Both methods are employed on a large scale in the 

 North Sea cod" fishery, and it will be sufficient for 

 my purpose if I describe the manner in which the 

 Grimsby cod fishermen regularly work with them. 



The long-line, spilliard, spiller, bulter, or trot, the 

 names variously given to the same kind of line, accord- 

 ing to locality or size, is used for the capture of many 

 kinds of fish, and especially for cod, ling, holibut, and 

 haddock, although turbot, skate, and other ground fish 

 are also taken by it. 



Long-lining from Grimsby is worked by means of 





