216 SEA-FISH. 
Margate side) of the coastguard-station on the flag-staff 
in front of the station. 
The grounds for flat-fish are not so many, but up to 
about a couple of years ago very large plaice were caught 
on a mussel-bank which had formed in line with the pier, 
some two hundred yards from the shore. There swooped 
down, however, a couple of Folkestone trawlers, who not 
only caught all the fish, but also destroyed the bank. Con- 
solation was, however, derived from the knowledge that 
the raid cost them their nets! Another bank is now 
forming on the south side of the pier, from which, in the 
course of a season or two, good sport should be obtained. 
The baits for Deal fishing are lugworm, sprat, herring, 
and mackerel; and pollack are also taken on the pier 
on ragworm, which has to be got from Dover (¢.v.), The 
fishermen charge about 6s. per day for their services, and 
know all the best grounds. It is noticeable at Deal, more 
perhaps than elsewhere, that the rod has all but super- 
seded the hand-line in sea-fishing. 
Almost immediately west of Deal, separated only by its 
continuation, Walmer, by St. Margaret’s, once 
famous for its prawns, and the Foreland, the 
famous port of Dover offers somewhat different  fish- 
ing. The ground generally is rougher, so that we have 
on summer evenings an amount of pollack-railing close 
to the beach that is unknown at Deal. From the piers, 
there is not perhaps very much sport to be had; the 
new Promenade Pier has been ruined by the insensate 
scraping (‘‘cleaning,” I believe it is called locally) of the 
piles of all the weeds and mussels that render them so 
attractive to the different fish; and the Admiralty Pier 
is too lofty to be a convenient spot for angling, not to 
mention the continual arrival and departure of mail 
steamers. There is nevertheless a certain -amount of 
hand-lining in the autumn for codling and whiting over 
the west parapet, whence also radiate the “ weavers’ 
beams,” on which local anglers, baiting with ragworm, 
are said, though I never witnessed their triumph, to catch 
fine grey mullet in August. 
For the following useful notes I am indebted to my 
friend Surgeon-General Paske, who resides at Dover, and 
has consequently opportunities of watching every change 
of grounds. 
Dover 
