BOAT-FISHING. 159 
detached and left with the fish, a new hook being 
substituted without much loss of time. This plan, 
which is more commonly used with the long line, 
or boulter, should, it is unnecessary to say, be em- 
ployed only with the more troublesome fish, and 
will for instance be found a great save-time in 
legering for large flat fish and whiting, which have 
an awkward habit of gorging the bait. 
One last hint with regard to railing, and I have 
done. It has been remarked above that a fish is 
often hooked as the boat turns. Should this be 
found to be the case, it is often a killing plan to 
change her course every 20 yards or so, and ifa 
fish is often missed at the turn, matters are some- 
times improved by letting out a couple of yards of 
slack line just as she leaves the old course, striking 
sharply as the line tightens again. In this way 
I have brought to bag many a good pollack that, I 
fancy, would otherwise not have been mine. 
A few words should, without anticipating the 
Appendix, be added on the topography of railing 
on.our coasts. It is an unfortunate fact that much 
of the best railing-ground is also the best lobster- 
ground, in consequence of which, as at Mevagissey 
and Bognor, for instance, this method is practicable 
only on Saturday, when, as there is no market next 
day, the pots are brought ashore. On the other 
days, any attempt at railing would involve much 
loss of gear, time, and temper, as the surface of the 
sea is a perfect forest of corks, each with its slack 
line ready to catch the passing hook. 
In certain years, Bournemouth Bay is as good a 
place as any I know near London for this Bourne- 
method of taking pollack, for there is but mouth 
one man with pots, and these he sets in fixed 
