I ro A DAY'S GROUND-FISHING. 



for the fisherman's private advantage. Not that a piece of 

 Conger is unpalatable, if nicely dressed, particularly the head 

 and six inches behind it, baked in a dish with veal stuffing, as 

 I have previously recommended in the case of the Blue-Bream, 

 Bekker, or Braize. This part of the Conger, the head espe- 

 cially, must be exceedingly nourishing from its very glutinous 

 nature. 



We tried with much perseverance to take more Congers, 

 but none other gave us the meeting : they were therefore either 

 scarce or shy on account of the daylight, for the Conger is 

 generally a night-feeder, especially in water under ten fathoms 

 in depth. I say generally, because I have met with occasional 

 exceptions to this rule. When the water fires, or, as the fisher- 

 men term it, ' brinies,' Congers rarely feed well, for the line 

 becomes apparently a cord of fire, which doubtless frightens 

 the fish ; as is also the case with Herrings and Pilchards, which 

 shun the nets when they become phosphorescent. 



Much has been said of the ferocity of the Conger after 

 capture ; but after having taken these fish more or less on 

 various occasions for over thirty years, I can see no ground 

 whatever for this assumption, having stood amongst a floor of 

 Conger, so to speak, without any evidence of such ferocity. 

 If a person is awkward or foolish enough to put his finger into 

 a Conger's mouth the fish will very probably nip him fast ; and I 

 have known them to catch the hook in this manner between 

 their teeth, and so firmly will they hold it that I have been 

 obliged to drive a thowl-pin into the mouth of the fish before I 

 could succeed in dislodging it. 



The increasing sea did not allow us to ride very quietly in 

 our exposed position, and our inquiring gaze often scanned 

 the horizon, watching for any indication of approaching bad 

 weather which might render it prudent to abandon our sport 

 and make for the shore. This, however, proved unnecessary, 

 for although a larger wave than ordinary would occasionally 

 break against the bow of our boat and sprinkle us with spray, 

 the sea had not attained to such a state of agitation as to 

 render safe landing on our open beach a matter of difficulty 

 or doubt, and we therefore continued to fish on, keeping the 



