THE ROD IN SALT WATER 407 



for conger and cod, bream, wrasse, and probably bass. 

 Where, on the contrary, there are no rocks, but a low, 

 sandy beach, he must expect rather flatfish, whiting, 

 gurnards, with, perhaps, bass close inshore. 



If there is a harbour or river estuary, bass may 

 certainly be looked for, and probably also grey mullet. 



A shingle beach, with deep water close inshore, 

 should give bass on summer evenings, and cod and 

 whiting in winter. 



Now and then artificial conditions are responsible 

 for the occurrence of a particular fish. Bass will haunt 

 the neighbourhood of a fish factory, the refuse from 

 which attracts them under unsuitable natural conditions, 

 and the potatoes and other waste thrown over the side 

 of Margate Jetty throughout the crowded summer 

 season of that popular resort must undoubtedly be held 

 accountable for the abnormal abundance of large grey 

 mullet. On the other hand, the disturbance of engineer- 

 ing operations has of late years been detrimental to the 

 once admirable fishing at Dover and elsewhere. 



Having concluded the practical side of the subject, so 

 far as is manageable in the space, I want to say a word 

 of the birds and beasts which are the constant com- 

 panion of the sea-fisherman in the happy hours he 

 spends on the water. Every angler should be some- 

 thing of a naturalist, not limiting his nature study to the 

 habits of the fish he wants to catch, or of the baits with 

 which he hopes to catch them, but also watching the 

 creatures of the water or waterside which have no 



