438 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



If often happens that whole boatloads of herring, unable to 

 find conveyances to a market, are cast into the sea, to decay 

 and spoil the fishing-ground. Others are caught quite unfit for 

 use. These last feed as foully as cod, and when taken will 

 not keep more than a few hours, though well salted. They 

 are often netted in immense numbers, but .of course are un- 

 saleable. They are honoured by the title of " gut-pokes " by 

 the fishermen. This distinguished epithet arises from their 

 being provided with a bag which contains their food. When 

 they cast the " poke " or bag, they improve in quality, but are 

 not equal for a long time to those that " feed on the sea," as 

 fishermen say. It is a curious fact that both sea-salmon, 

 which are always in the finest order, and herring in the best 

 condition, never have food in their inside. 



In the Sound of Mull my son killed eighty " gut-poke " 

 herring in one evening with the white feather fly, and they 

 took it with even a keener zest than the " cuddies " in their 

 best mood. The " skull " of very large and fat herring in 

 Loch Fyne are not thought so good, either fresh or salted, as 

 those of a medium size. 



Deep fishing in the sea-lochs has the advantage over the 

 shallows, that there is a chance of greater variety and better 

 quality in the basket. But although different specimens of 

 choice white fish may be taken at the same anchorage, par- 

 ticular kinds have their favourite banks on which they 

 generally seek their food. 



Near Balliemore House, my summer home in 1866, there 

 was a bank for whiting, another for sea-perch, and a third for 

 grey cod, besides several banks for " goldies," as they are 

 called by fishermen. In good weather, on their particular 

 banks, numbers of their own special kind of fish may be 

 caught. Eound Otter Ferry summer cod are sometimes 

 brought up by hand-line, of pretty good weight ; while the 

 winter ones, both in Loch Fyne and Loch Goil, are even now 

 of large size. In old times, the " whiting bank " half a mile 



