48 FISHING GOSSIP. 
thus prolonging their lives and improving their qua- 
lity as bait. In the absence of worms, strips of cuttle- 
fish, or small portions of any other fish, may be used. 
When fishing at anchor, it is well at all times to lay 
out one or more float-lines (¢.¢. without any sinker) ; 
these should be composed of fine prepared line 
mounted with yard traces of strong salmon-gut and 
one No. 5 Limerick trout-pattern hook each. This, 
baited with a “lask” or strip, cut from the tail of a 
mackerel, should be allowed to drift away with the 
stream to some considerable distance from the boat. 
The inner end may be conveniently held by one of 
the cane “gunwale blocks,’ described in my little 
work, Sea-Fish, and how to catch them. In fitting 
all my sea-lines, large or small, a brass swivel at the 
union of the trace and line is never omitted ; an ar- 
rangement which I can strongly recommend. To the 
allurements of ground-bait- sea-fish are by no means 
indifferent ; and to its enticements many a scaly 
victim owes his fall, or rather rise. It is to be pre- 
pared thus :—A piece of old worn-out fishing-net- 
must be procured—say of about three feet square. 
Into this put all the fresh fish offal, refuse bait, etc., 
you can get, provided that the net will hold it; mix 
this with about a gallon of bran, and beat them well 
together with a stout stick ; put a heavy stone in the 
middle, tie it up after the fashion of a dumpling 
compounded with a view to tickling the gustatory 
