

76 FISHING ON THE 



THE LONG-LINE. 



The eel-line, already noticed, is precisely the long-line 

 in miniature, with the exception of the hooks, which are 

 such coarse, blunt-looking weapons, that the wonder is 

 how they catch at all. They are sold for a mere trifle at 

 any of the shops in the sea-port towns, and tied on with 

 a wax end, but sometimes only with a knot of the twine 

 itself: a turn of the wire on the shank enables you to do 

 this. A baiting basket is required, one end for the line, 

 the other for the baited hooks, which are placed in regu- 

 lar rows. My line had only three hundred hooks, but 

 some have double that number. Herring, cut into small 

 pieces, are the best bait : I required about a dozen for 

 one setting. The best substitute for these are mussels; 

 but they drop off the*hook so easily, that when herring 

 can be procured they are seldom used. Seeing the long- 

 line baited, set, and drawn, will thoroughly teach any one 

 who has an idea of fishing writing how to do so, never 

 will. It generally took me about an hour and a half to 

 bait mine ; so I taught a boy, who, after two or three les- 

 sons, could bait as well as myself. 



The best time to set the long-line is after low water, 

 when the tide has flowed a little, and brought the 

 fish with it. To know the different " hauls"* is most 



* Banks, and parts of the loch, where the shoals of fish frequent. 



