A DATS GROUND-FISHING. 101 



slip of any shining fish ; use a strong Mackerel hook, without 

 lead, if the tide be moderate; if in much stream a lightly 

 leaded horse-hair line, as recommended for Pollack. I have 

 taken many large Pollack and Blue Bream in this manner, and 

 therefore advise my readers to make this a rule whilst Pout- 

 fishing. 



Nos. 12 and 13 will be found useful sizes for general Pout- 

 fishing, but in harbours, and where they run small, use 14 in 

 the cut of Hooks, fig. 63, p. 211. 



THE POWER OR POOR-COD. 



(Morrhua minuta.} 



Among the Pout, you will generally take a fish of a longer 

 form of body, known as the ' Poor ' in Cornwall, Pouting at 

 Plymouth, ' Gilligant ' and * White-eyes ' at other localities. It 

 is caught from 5 to 10 inches in length, and is a sweet-eating 

 little fish, when fried of a delicate brown, with as little fat or 

 butter as possible, soon after capture ; but it becpmes quite 

 tasteless the following day, although it may be untainted by 

 decomposition. The Rag- Worm is the favourite bait, and No. 

 7 Kirby hook tied on single gut From six to twelve dozen are 

 taken off the Hoe, Plymouth, in three or four hours, in an after- 

 noon or evening when the tide suits ; I have taken this little 

 fish everywhere when after Whiting-Pout. It is the smallest of 

 the Cod family. 



From the beginning of July until nearly Christmas you will 

 also take numbers of Chad, which are the young of the common 

 Sea-Bream ; in unhooking these be careful of their prickly back- 

 fins. They make good bait for Conger. 



A DAY'S GROUND-FISHING. 



'We are going to have another day at Billingsgate,' was the 

 greeting of a friend as I sauntered one morning down the ruddy 

 cliffs impending o'er the pebbly beach at Budleigh Salterton, 

 on which the wavelets, impelled by a light southerly breeze, 

 were gently breaking, the precursors of a lop, or more agitated 

 state of things, which followed later in the day. 



