THE NIGHT OR SMALL SEINE. 231 



than half the time as compared with those taken in Guernsey. 

 I refer more particularly to the south coast of Devon, where 

 they are taken more as an article of food than bait, although 

 they are used as a dead bait in that locality, and have been tried 

 by some few amateurs as a living bait with much success. In 

 procuring any from fishermen, endeavour to <have them placed 

 in your courge before the seine is drawn out of the water, and 

 attend or send a man in a boat to fetch and tow the courge to 

 a place of security generally a boat's moorings. 



The Night or Small Seine, This, as implied by its 

 appellation, is commonly used after sunset, and, as regards 

 size and weight, may be carried in a boat under fifteen feet in 

 length. 



It is shot out in a semicircle and hauled on to the beach, 

 and may be managed by four men. 



Most of the seines made for the use of amateurs or for use 

 by yachts' crews, have hitherto consisted of hemp twine, and have 

 been much too stout and heavy. I suggest for the future they 

 should be entirely of cotton, as being much lighter and easy to 

 work and stow away. A generally useful net is 60 -fathoms long, 

 15 feet deep in the bunt, and 8 feet at the ends of the arms, 

 the mesh of course increasing in size gradually as the distance 

 increases from the bunt or middle. 



In or near the mouth of a tidal river, if the bottom be gravel 

 or sand unencumbered with large stones, it is often very suc- 

 cessful, and the take commonly consists of Plaice, Flounders, 

 Salmon Peel, an occasional Salmon, Sea Trout, and Red and 

 Grey Mullet, hundreds of which latter often -escape by leaping 

 over the cork-line. 



In hauling this net much care should be taken to keep the 

 bunt-cork in the middle, as this shows the net is being equally 

 hauled ; the foot-lines must also be kept close to the ground, 

 especially as the bunt comes near the shore, for then the Mullet 

 &c. will be almost certain to dash towards the beach, seeking 

 some available outlet. 



If the water be shallow, it will be well to hold up the cork- 

 line if you have additional help sufficient to spare for that 

 purpose. From low-water to half-flood is commonly the most 



