SEA AFGLIIJfG I If GEEAT BEITAIN. 



of Bristol and looked down on the beautiful water, and knew 

 that my forebears in the seventeenth century, one of whom lies 

 at Frenchay, not far away, must have caught bass on the coast 

 in the time of Cromwell, 



The poUack is one of the finest of the British game fishes, 

 making a good fight on the rod. I have taken them with a fly 

 off the rocks on the ITew England coast, from five to seven 

 pounds, using an eight-ounce rod and breaking many tips. They 

 are caught off rocks in both countries, and in America, off, and 

 in the mouth of rivers. In Scotland the saithe or coal-fish ranks 

 high as a game fish with the Glasgow sea angler, and it wUl take 

 a fly. 



The mackerel in EngUsh waters is fuU of fife and vigour, afford- 

 ing the anglers with a light rod sport of a fine character. In 

 America this fish is taken trolling (dragging the bait astern), 

 but I have had my best and most satisfactory angling for them 

 in California ; in chumming them up ; namely, throwing finely 

 chopped bait overboard, and when they were all about the 

 boat, casting for them with an eight-ounce rod and trout tackle, 

 using a small spoon or white bait, or even a white rag. I have 

 seen a school (sceole Anglo-Saxon) in the Atlantic at night that 

 looked like an acre or more of fire on the water, due to the 

 phosphorescence occasioned by the movements of thousands of 

 fishes. 



The list of British fishes is a long one. The bream, chad, 

 conger, whiting, pout, and many more afford most excellent 

 sport if approached with tackle appropriate to the game. I 

 have seen an angler in America catching a poUack with a tarpon 

 rod and Kne, yet reviling the fish as a poor fighter when he should 

 have used an eight-ounce trout rod. A peculiarity of the pollack, 

 at least in America, is that it deteriorates at once when taken 

 from the water. In a word, if you wish to eat poUack waste no 

 time in cooking and serving it, and drink its health in chabUs. 



One of the most attractive of aU British fishes and rare every- 

 where is the opha or kingfish {Lampris). One specimen has 



6i 



