64 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



as earnestly as he declared that all men who boast of 

 triumphant trout-fishing with flies do not speak truth- 

 fully ; and that their success is due to the use of worms 

 as bait. On that point I am not competent to give an 

 opinion. I merely quote what my companion said, and 

 refer to this primitive engine as a curiosity. Its effects 

 certainly seem to be as deadly as the operations of the 

 otter-trawl in a powerful modern steamboat. 



Sailing cod-smacks worked on three different grounds 

 according to the season of the year. These seasons and 

 places were : October to Christmas, on the Great 

 Fisher Bank and Dogger Bank ; Christmas to April, 

 alongshore ; April to September, Iceland and Faroe 

 banks. For the first-named season a cod-smack's 

 fishing outfit was: 16 dozen lines, each 30 fathoms 

 long (two of these lines, equalling 60 fathoms, were 

 called a "piece"); 6000 hooks and snoods. A snood 

 was 2^ ft. long. Fifty-two hooks were put on a " piece " 

 of line, the distance between them being 8 ft. 6 in. ; or, 

 if 12 ft. apart, 32 hooks. A dozen large anchors were 

 carried, as well as 1 2 small anchors, 1 2 buoys with staff 

 and flag, and 12 buoy-ropes ; 16 trays, 16 tray-lashings ; 

 60 whelk-nets, each net holding a "wash" ; i sweeping- 

 in and i sweeping-out net; 2 tomahawks, 2 prickers. 

 The same number of lines was needed for the along- 

 shore fishing as for the Dogger, except that a small 

 anchor with a buoy was placed between each shank to 

 keep the lines on the bottom. 



For hand-lining in the Iceland or Faroe fishing the 

 outfit needed included 4 dozen lines, each 35 fathoms 

 long, wound on reels or frames, 3 dozen cod-leads, 300 

 to 400 hooks of various sizes, 9 splitting, 2 heading, 



