So WHIFFING. 



not less than three or more than five ounces should be used, 

 and the snood may be of gimp four yards size 20, or copper 

 wire of gauge 21. The lead, if of boat form, should be mounted 

 with a piece of double horse-hair thirty-six hairs' thickness, 

 served round with stout waxed thread, projecting from each 

 end half the length of the lead. Join the wire snood to this 

 with an inch swivel, and connect the gut and wire, or gimp, 

 with one of half inch size. A pair of these lines are necessary. 

 The plummet lead with revolving chopstick (fig. 39, p. 124), as 

 for Mackerel, is suitable for Pollacking, but a very considerable 

 latitude is allowable in the shape of leads for whiffing for Pollack, 

 and either the conical, fig-shaped, or boat-shaped, may be used, 

 the form not being of great importance, because the boat 

 should always move more slowly than in Mackerel-fishing, for 

 which the boat leads are not adapted from their tendency to 

 sheer and jump when towed along at any considerable speed. 

 For whiffing under sail one pound will be found a good 

 weight, but in certain positions, as in tide-races, you are com- 

 pelled to use a two-pound lead, and if of plummet form all 

 must have the revolving chopstick. You may consider you 

 have good ' dray-way ' through the water, as the fishermen term 

 it, when your lines form with the surface an angle of about 45 

 degrees, and you should pull, or set just sufficient sail for the 

 required rate. I recommend the lines to be marked at 3, 6, 

 and 9 fathoms. When wind and tide are in opposition (if 

 both are not so strong as to cause too much sea) is the most 

 favourable opportunity for whiffing under sail, as you can then 

 adjust your canvas to a nicety, but under oars or sculling, a 

 calm or very nearly a calm is most advantageous. In whiffing 

 under oars or sculling almost any punt or sea-going boat will 

 answer, for instance a yacht's dingy 10 to 14 feet long, and one 

 should take the paddles whilst the other tends the two lines. 

 For one person a single line is ample, and the boat may be 

 either sculled or pulled as found most convenient. In Pollack- 

 ing under sail two lines may be managed by one hand, and 

 any sized boat under 10 tons will answer ; but were I to choose 

 I should prefer an Itchen rigged boat of 5 tons, with the addi- 

 tion of a mizen, as it is so very useful in whiffing with the jib 



