SEA ANGLING IN GEEAT BEITAIN 



dogs. On Thursday we got out to Reenadrolaun Point, found too much 

 sea, so came back and anchored on the Bank in from eighteen to twenty- 

 fathoms of water. I there captured, after much trouble, a skate of 125 

 pounds, which disabled my winch and had to be hand-lined aboard, and 

 fotu" weighing 63 pounds, five cod, 53f pounds, biggest gurnard and two 

 pouting, 2 pounds ; total 408J pounds. Mr. Holcombe had eight cod, 

 94J pounds, biggest 21 pounds, besides Ung, poUack, pouting, gurnard, 

 conger, and bream, a toal of 188 pounds ; our day's total 696| pounds, 

 not including three small dogs. It was certainly one of the best day's 

 sport that I have ever spent upon the sea, and the most uncomfortable 

 one ; the weather conditions were awful. 



' Our total take in the four days amounted to 1,605 pounds of fish, with 

 fourteen certified specimens. We caught three skate exceeding 100 pounds, 

 namely, 117 pounds, 125 pounds, and 141 poimds. Though the com- 

 parison may not be quite fair, we two ordinary anglers caught 100 poimds 

 more fish in one day, than were caught by about forty skilled men at 

 Deal in perfect weather and under the most favourable conditions.' 



Possibly the most famous grounds of the British Sea Angling 

 Society of London is BaUycotton, Ireland. Every year this 

 influential society has a BaUycotton night. A great variety of 

 fishes are taken here, but pollock, conger, halibut, and skate are 

 the principal game fishes, and due to their size afford most 

 excellent sport. In 1912 Mr. H. E. Burton took a one hundred 

 and sixty-six-pound skate, Mr. F. D. Holcombe a one hundred 

 and fifty-pounder, Mr. C. J. Crisfield a two hundred -pounder ; at 

 Letterfrack, Mr. S. Bullock took a seventy-five pound halibut, 

 Mr. A. Wignot a seventy-pounder ; Mr. E. V. Murmann a forty- 

 five-pound conger at Valentia. For photographs for all of which 

 I am indebted to Mr. F. D. Holcombe, who holds the record 

 at BaUycotton for the second largest haUbut vTith rod and 

 line, a one hundred and twenty three pounder. 



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