46 WEIGHT OF SINKERS. SNATCH- BLOCKS. 



sail. The neighbouring fishing villages, however, adhere to the 

 whole breadth boat-lead. 



Weight of Sinkers. No arbitrary rule can be made for 

 this, local requirements varying so much. Those of one and 

 two pounds' weight are of general utility and quite heavy 

 enough for sea-side visitors ; but if fishing in twenty to thirty 

 fathoms, and where anything of a strong tide runs, your lightest 

 leads, of which two are used, one on each side aft, cannot be 

 less than two pounds and a half, and these can only be used at 

 neap tides ; your forward leads, of which two are also used, 

 must be at least four pounds in weight, the additional weight 

 being requisite to keep these forward lines more nearly per- 

 pendicular, and consequently clear of the after lines, which, 

 from their leads being lighter, will tail away much farther 

 astern. During spring tides you will hardly keep a line down 

 with leads of less than four and seven pounds' weight, and there 

 is but a short slackening of either the flood or ebb stream at 

 the springs ; it is better, therefore, at this time to pay your 

 respects to the Whiting- Pollack c. (of which hereafter), as they 

 are to be taken in shoal water, and close to the shore, in con- 

 genial situations. 



Snatch-blocks for Deep Sea-Fisting. As the hauling of a 

 line of thirty or forty fathoms in length with a heavy sinker, by 

 which I mean anything from two to ten pounds' weight, involves 

 considerable labour, consequent upon the friction of the line on 

 the gunwale of the vessel or boat, snatch-blocks through which 

 to lead the lines will be found very convenient in lightening the 

 haulage. These blocks have an opening at the upper end into 

 which you can snatch the line as you begin to haul, and being 

 provided with a short piece of sinnet or plaited line, tapered in 

 the plaiting and known amongst seamen by the odd name of 

 a monkey's tail, may be thereby attached to any part of the 

 rigging of the boat or vessel at the required height. A four- 

 inch block is a convenient size, and thus fitted is better than a 

 davit, as it at once adapts itself to the inclination of the line in 

 a tide-way. For the two after lines, crane-davits of galvanised 

 iron, in shape of the ordinary boat-davits, the crane part about 

 six inches across, turned into an eye at the end to receive the 





