A DAY'S DRIFT-LINE FISHING OFF GUERNSEY. 75 



reached, and the crews of both boats get on board one, the 

 cable of which being shifted from the bow to one end of the 

 midship thwart, she swings broadside on, allowing room for 

 four men to haul the head and foot lines at once, whilst a fifth 

 thrusts down an oar continually to drive back the Sand-Eels to 

 the bag of the net. The greater part of the seine having now 

 been boated, the Sand-Eels are seen rushing to and fro in a 

 dark, plum-coloured cloud ; and it is very remarkable to observe 

 how the whole shoal turns at one and the same time, as if the 

 act were one of instantaneous volition common to all. The bag 

 of the net is now gathered up closely, and the fishermen hand 

 in their Sand-Eel baskets to be filled in turn, our own being one 

 of the first to receive its quantum of this truly splendid bait. 

 The Sand-Eel basket is secured, and, with our canvas again set, 

 we are off for our fishing ground. 



At length we reach the Rousse de Mer (a large insulated 

 rock), and having seen the cable clear I make fast the end on 

 the crown of the anchor, and stop the cable down to the ring 

 with a single turn of rope-yarn, as the bottom is of a somewhat 

 mixed character ; by this precaution we may clear the anchor 

 if we hook a rock. We find one or two boats on the ground, 

 and being personally known to all in the neighbourhood, gene- 

 rally give them a greeting, 



' Ky b'yottong t ' (quel beau temps /) exclaims my friend, 

 addressing an old fisherman in the nearest boat who has re- 

 versed his sou'- wester, bringing the fantail flap forward over 

 his os frontis as an additional protection from the sun, which 

 has lately burst out with great fervour. ' As-tu d'pison ? ' (as-tu 

 du poisson?) 'Pas grammong, m'sieur, pas grammong' (pas 

 grandement, monsieur] ' nous avons hallai dow ou tray,' we 

 have hauled two or three holding up a fine Pollack of about 

 10 Ibs. weight. 



Having anchored, we take a dozen or so of the Sand-Eels 

 out of the basket and place them in the boat's bailer, half filled 

 with water, baiting our lines by passing the point of the hook 

 down the throat and out of the gills, then lightly hooking the 

 bait through the skin of the throat just sufficiently to fix the 

 hook ; at the same time taking care not to injure the fish, by 



