204 SEA-FISH. 
The aforementioned principles, on which all “ marks” 
should be chosen, are four in number: they should be 
conspicuous from the fishing-ground ; they should be of 
a permanent nature, buildings being less suitable than 
more natural “marks,” such as headlands, old trees and 
the like; they should be available at all seasons, temporary 
bathing shelters or green fields being of use during no 
more than a very small portion of the year; and they 
should be at some considerable distance apart, both as 
regards the distance of each pair, the one behind the 
other, and the distance between the two pairs and con- 
sequent angle between the imaginary lines, which, as 
recommended above, should be not less than 90°. The 
last of these conditions alone requires explanation, and 
it will easily be seen that if the objects in a line are close 
together, the boat might easily shift a few yards off the 
ground without shifting the line from both ; whereas with 
the objects far apart, the least shift throws them out of 
line. ‘This, if not indeed apparent, can be tested on the 
first opportunity. The same advantage attaches to keep- 
ing the lines as nearly at right angles as possible. The 
necessity for the greatest accuracy, even allowing for the 
play of the tide on the painter, has received notice. It will 
be seen that “marks,” pure and simple, form by no means 
the bulk of the information in the following pages, and 
for this two reasons may be assigned. In the first place, 
as a well-known sea-angler wrote me on a recent occasion, 
many of these grounds have been discovered after a deal 
of experimenting (though more often by chance), and are 
known only to a few amateurs, or professionals, or both ; 
and it is hardly to be expected that they can be regarded 
as other than confidential. Indeed, a sharp look-out has 
usually to be kept for smart “locals,” who are fond of 
sailing by with a far-away expression on their honest sun- 
burnt faces, merely, it is perhaps unnecessary to point 
out, with the express object of filching the bearings. 
Greek meets Greek, I regret to say, in the most perfidious 
manner; and the order, as soon as these gentry are 
sighted, is to let out the whole of the painter, which has 
the effect, needless to say, of taking the boat right off the 
mark. This is accomplished without fuss, and the occu- 
pants of the boat continue their sham fishing, in which 
they are absorbed until the intruders have taken what 
