ANGLING FOR BASS. 151 



for Bass when good natural baits cannot easily be procured, but 

 the latter are unquestionably superior. Use the Cornish whiff- 

 ing line as for Pollack, p. 81. Bass caught in this manner 

 are frequently very large. Use hooks No. 9, fig. 63, p. 211. 

 Flies are also often successful, but less so than when thrown 

 with the rod. 



A brisk breeze blowing out against the flood current is the 

 most favourable time, and during spring-tides. A horn of the 

 sucker or octopus five inches long, baited as the Freshwater 

 Eel (fig. 25, p. 82), will also take them. When Pollacking I 

 have sometimes caught them with the Freshwater Eel bait, in 

 common use for this fishing in many places. The Exmouth 

 men are very expert at this method with dead Sand- Eel bait, 

 and they use a pair of 12 -feet poles to give the lines greater 

 spread. The hook is brought out at the tail of the bait at 

 Exmouth. 



ANGLING FOR BASS. 



Bottom angling for Bass may be practised with success from 

 off a pier-head, with a strong rod sixteen to eighteen feet in 

 length, and either a floated or a Pater-Noster line, as described 

 for Whiting- Pollack, p. 95, only that your tackle should be 

 somewhat stouter, and your hooks tied to triple gut or gimp ; 

 the hooks should be one inch across from the point to the 

 shank, and the bait half a Soft Crab, a piece of Cuttle-fish, a 

 living Sand-Eel, a dead one, or a piece of Pilchard ; plumb 

 the depth with a plummet, and fish just clear of the ground if 

 you have a float, and if fishing off a point or headland, with a 

 wash on the shore caused by a breeze from seaward, which is 

 the most favourable time to try for them, and when a float is 

 most useful. 



You must be provided with a landing-net or gaff-hook, and 

 when you get hold of a large fish play him round to the nearest 

 convenient spot and dip him up or gaff him. See fig. 

 64, p. 213. 



Whilst fishing with the rod, you may also throw in a ground- 

 line for Bass, if a convenient place can be found to make fast the 

 line. At the head of many coves, amongst the rocks, great 



