62 DRIFT OR TIDE-WAY FISHING. 



ground, ledges or insulated heads of rock, or other haunts of 

 the fish. We have first to describe the former, which with 

 certain baits is the more killing of the two and more convenient, 

 as the boat requires no attention, which can be given solely to 

 the lines, more of which can be put out at once. If un- 

 acquainted with the depth, sound with a ground-line as soon 

 as the boat is fixed in position, and pay out line accordingly, 

 recollecting the leads are placed at two fathom intervals along 

 the line. Sounding and finding, for instance, six fathoms with 

 little tide, put over two and keep the third lead in-board, the 

 snood allowing the bait to descend sufficiently beyond the 

 bottom lead ; when the tide strengthens put out the third and 

 keep the fourth in-board ; when stronger one or two more may 

 be veered, the length required depending on the angle the line 

 takes from the speed of the current : the faculty of estimating 

 this will soon be acquired by observing these directions in 

 practice. 



Two hair-lines with leads, and one without, are quite suffi- 

 cient to occupy one person when the fish feed well, but if two 

 hands are in the boat, another pair may be used amidships, the 

 leads of which must be twice the weight of those at the stern. 



Previous, however, to obtaining familiarity with the use of 

 the lines, even if two are in the boat, one line apiece will find 

 them full occupation, supposing the fish are well on the feed. 



The lines at the stern without leads may be made of hair, 

 cotton, or flax or hemp, and I often use a pair, where the water 

 is not deep, or the tide too strong, as I find them very killing 

 for both Bass and Pollack. I begin fishing with these lines at 

 the commencement or at the slackening of the tidal current, 

 and frequently take with them Mackerel, Bream, and Gar-fish, 

 in addition to Pollack and Bass. What is required in these 

 light lines is an entire absence of any tendency to kink, and 

 become entangled, only attainable by care in the manufacture, 

 and also by being dressed with a stiffening solution. I have for 

 several seasons used lines manufactured by the Manchester 

 Cotton Twine Spinning Company, and have found them answer 

 remarkably well. Each of these lines is 30 yards or 15 fathoms 

 long, and at one end I splice a brass swivel f of an inch in 



