176 SEA-FISH. 
in position. In the other case, where the boat is 
approaching the mark against the tide, the oarsman 
should sit round facing the bow, and overshoot the 
mark by a few yards. The anchor is then pitched 
ahead, and the boat allowed to drop back over the 
mark, the rope being brought up sharp and made 
fast, as before, when over the ground. Those of 
my readers who know all about the matter under 
notice will perhaps think that I have unduly 
prolonged these instructions ; but it is very difficult 
to make the correct procedure quite clear to the 
beginner without saying much that to the old 
hand is trite. 
The hardest grounds to pick up by shore marks 
are those which lie five or ten miles out at sea; 
and yet it is surprising, as those know who have 
fished off the Cornish coast, how easily the local 
professionals pick up such grounds. In such cases, 
some group of rocks standing off in the water, as, 
for example, the picturesque Gwingeas, that, like 
a lion couchant, guard the western approach to the 
harbour of Mevagissey, is generally requisitioned ; 
and indecd it is always better for the “marks” on 
one line to be not too close together. A good 
deal more on the subject of “ marks” will be found 
in the Appendix. 
I have now, I think, made it fairly clear how to 
find out known grounds, and, having found them, 
how to keep your boat in the right spot. 
It remains to get the fish. On really good 
grounds, particularly at some little distance from 
the coast, where they are not overworked, there will 
as a rule be plenty of fish. It may, however, be 
found necessary to bring the fish to the spot, or 
at any rate to keep them there. River-fishers will 
