76 A DATS DRIFT-LINE FISHING OFF GUERNSEY. 



holding it as carefully as possible. We have here some seven 

 fathoms of water with a nice stream of tide running, and as the 

 lines stray out astern at about an angle of 45 degrees we pay 

 out rather more than the depth of the water, namely, five leads 

 on the lighter lines at the stern, and four on those amidships, 

 there being intervals of two fathoms between the leads. As I 

 am in the midship part of the boat I take the line of the port 

 side in my hand, and having a bite, hook my fish and haul 

 him in, rebait my hook and put out again, when rattle goes my 

 lead and line on the other side of the boat, and beginning to 

 haul I find I have rather a larger fish, for he makes several 

 violent tugs, and I find it necessary to give a little line. I 

 contrive, however, to turn him as he comes i^jidiy up, and 

 when he is alongside I dip him up in a short-handled landing 

 net, the gaff being chiefly reserved for extra large fish. They 

 are now coming along faster, and it is as much as we can do 

 to tend and fresh bait the hooks. ' More bait, please,' I ex- 

 claim, throwing overboard on the line the last in my bailer, 

 and handing it aft to my friend for a fresh supply, who pro- 

 ceeds to replenish from the basket under the stern ; but, 

 whilst thus occupied, whizz, rattle, goes his line, and dropping 

 the basket he turns quickly to seize it, but, unmindful of the 

 other little bucket containing his own bait, knocks it over with 

 his knee, and the little silvery fish are all scattered over the 

 stern-sheets. 



Meanwhile, as there is evidently a weighty fish on the line, 

 I glance round to see the gaff handy. The fish struggles 

 violently, and it becomes necessary to veer out some of the 

 line ; he is, however, soon turned, and comes into view through 

 the clear water, his wide side showing yellow as he struggles 

 head to tide, but to no purpose, for as my friend breaks his 

 sheer once more, he is brought to the surface alongside, and 

 inserting the gaff under his gills, he is safely taken in and done 

 for. The fish proves to be nearly a yard long, and weighs full 

 1 2 Ibs. This will be a fellow for boiling ; we therefore decide 

 on hanging him up with a lump of salt in his head, for with 

 some oyster sauce he'll eat like a Cod-fish. 

 . The tide now began to run considerably stronger, and more 



