136 SEA-FISH. 
uscd. The hook is passed twice through the bait 
and the heavy lead is swung well out. I have heard 
a great deal about the necessity for striking a 
conger as soon as it bites, but much of this is 
imaginary. While I am fishing over rocks for large 
pout or what not, I usually leave out a couple of 
conger lines baited with herring or squid, and on 
these lines the fish hook themselves, all I have to 
do being to haul and unhook a small conger every 
few minutes, and rebait. When after heavy conger 
at night, special line, or “snood,” is necessary for 
attaching the hook to the main line, and a certain 
number of swivels are very desirable for reducing 
the friction ; but the conger caught from piers in the 
broad light of day are not likely to give much 
trouble (6 lbs. 9 ozs. is the largest I ever took in 
this way ; it was on Hastings pier, August 1889), 
and these details are given more appropriately in 
the remarks on boat-fishing. In all cases, however, 
it is well to bear in mind that these sea-eels prefer 
baits being both soft and fresh, and all bones 
should be removed where any exist ; squid may 
also be pounded with a stone or stick, and should 
be scraped clean of the ink-like fluid that invariably 
covers it, and which is indeed one of the chief 
means of defence of a creature blessed with many 
enemies. This fluid rots the fisherman’s nets 
sadly. 
These are so casy to catch, have such a knack 
Whiting- indeed of impaling themselves on hooks 
pout, or intended for better fish, that any hints 
Pouting which I give on the subject must be ad- 
dressed to those juvenile fishers who muster 
strong on most of our piers. For although pout- 
fishing may be excellent fun in a boat over the 
