150 WHIFFING FOR BASS. 



strength of the stream requires. The fish now come on faster, 

 and we are very busy for some time, until the weed becomes 

 very troublesome, and the fish consequently few and far be- 

 tween. On looking over our fish, we find we have thirteen 

 Bass and one Pollack, varying from i Ib. to 4 Ibs. in weight. 

 These larger fish fight well, sometimes requiring five or six 

 minutes to kill them, and always causing the landing-net to be 

 brought into use. Bass occasionally are taken up to ten or 

 fifteen pounds, and even larger ; but I find, after taking a great 

 number and regularly fishing through several seasons, that 

 2 Ibs. constitutes a good average weight. In drift-line fishing 

 I have never saved a Bass above 8 Ibs., but having frequently 

 been broken by heavy fish, I doubt not they have been beyond 

 that weight, as I have caught them in the same localities by 

 ground-lines, or with a trammel net, of 12 and 14 Ibs. I have 

 heard of Bass of 28 Ibs., but do not happen to have seen them, 

 although this size is well authenticated. As regards the length 

 of line to be used, it depends on the depth of water and strength 

 of the current. The bait should not touch the bottom, because 

 it will then for certain be spoiled by the green harbour crabs ; 

 if, therefore, it should be pinched by these little plagues, haul 

 up a yard or two, and the bait will escape damage. After the 

 tide has risen about 2\ hours, the current in many bar-harbours 

 becomes too strong to allow the bait to be kept at the required 

 depth. In this case anchor on the flat ground on either side 

 of the entrance in not less than 2 \ feet depth, and nearer or 

 more distant from the throat of the entrance, according to the 

 strength of the stream. Where the water runs over the edge 

 of a bank will often be found good fishing. The greatest draw- 

 back to this method of fishing in bar-harbours is the frequent 

 abundance of weed drifting along with the tide at all depths. 



WHIFFING FOR BASS. 



Good sport may also be often obtained by sailing in a tide- 

 way with a dead Sand-Eel or other small fish bait : to bait the 

 hook, see page 82. Artificial baits particularly the two spinning 

 Saad-Eels (figs. 28, 29, p. 83.) are successfully used in whining 



