212 SEA-FISH. 
I have now given the bearings of half-a-dozen of the 
best grounds for Bournemouth fishing. There are 
others, no doubt. There is an old wreck, for instance, 
which, laden with railway-metal, has lain many a year on 
the bottom about three miles east from ‘‘ Old Harry,” and 
which, known only to one or two Poole trawlers who 
have left £20 of gear apiece as the price of their know- 
ledge, would be a famous swim for pollack and conger, 
if we could but find it. There are also the “ Herbert 
Home Rocks” and a patch off Boscombe. But the fore- 
going grounds all contain fish of some kind or other 
during the summer months. 
Two subjects of local interest remain—baits and boat- 
men. As to baits, the pier supplies endless mussels, 
which should zo¢ be scalded, and squid may occasionally 
be got from White, the diver, or from the Poole boats. 
Lugworms are not much used locally, though anglers 
possessing bicycles sometimes ride out to Poole harbour, 
and dig them on the ebb tide. The-Poole lug are, 
however, for the most part, of small size. The sand- 
smelts, caught in numbers on the pier, are acceptable to 
most fish, particularly to turbot and other flat fish; and 
the sand-eels, less frequently hooked, are still more 
deadly. 
The boatmen are many, and I prefer not making any 
invidious comparisons. ‘They mostly know the grounds ; 
and, whether the visitor employs Davis, Dyer, Kettle, 
Lucas, Maynard, Munday, or any other, he may reckon, 
so long as he has no objection to paying half-a-crown an 
hour, on being properly waited on. Without a man, 
the recognised charge for small rowing boats is 1s. per 
hour, and it is usual to pay a small sum extra for bait 
and lines, as well as a not exorbitant tip should any but 
the owner of the boat lend a hand in hauling her up 
on returning from the grounds. 
With regard to the sea-fishing at neighbouring places, 
there is a good reef about a mile off the salmon-run at 
Mudeford (Christchurch) ; a few bass are occasionally 
hooked from the stunted pier at Southborne ; and a few 
of good size are taken from the Hamworthy Bridge, 
Poole (so Mr. Beckford of Parkestone informs me), as 
well as large numbers at various grounds in the harbour, 
the fishing of which is, however, ruined by indiscriminate 
