138 SEA-FISH. 
distribution, however, that it frequently happens 
that one line catches all the fish, while others in 
the same boat lie idle. 
The true smelt, whose adipose dorsal fin pro- 
claims him own kinsman of the salmon, is caught 
by anglers chiefly on the east coast, a light rod and 
float tackle, small hook baited with shrimp 
or mussel, answering. every purpose. On 
the south coast, however, there swarms a fish 
known locally as the smelt, generally as the sand- 
smelt, more scientifically as the atherine, a name 
that saves the confusion which suits the pocket of 
the fishmonger. All round the Isle of Wight and 
the Solent generally, off Bournemouth and Ex- 
mouth and Plymouth, these little sand-smelts 
abound, to the delight of all the small boys of the 
neighbourhood. It is surprising, however, what 
different methods are employed within a few miles 
for catching the same fish. Thus, at Southampton I 
South. have seen urchins taking numbers of these 
ampton fish from the docks on paternosters armed 
with many hooks, the same method being success- 
ful, if I remember rightly, at Weymouth. At 
Bourne- Bournemouth, however, were it only for the 
mouth Jarge number of gurnard and pout that 
snap up every bait that approaches the bottom, to 
say nothing of hordes of undergrown flat fish that 
take every hook that lies a moment on the sand, 
this would be impracticable. A special method of 
catching these fish, as well as the aforementioned 
sand-cels that foregather with them, has been in 
vogue at Bournemouth as long as local anglers can 
remember ; and this is nothing more than the use 
of a light gut line with a single very small pipe 
lead, or a few shot, and No. to hook baited with 
mussel. The lead is allowed just to touch the 
Smelts 
