THE STRIPED liASSE. 165 



Limerick, firmly lashed to one or two strands of gut, accord- 

 ing to the ran of your fish. If you fish with one strand of 

 extra strong gut next your hook, you will be safe enongh, and 

 be as likely to take as good fish as with stronger tackle ; but 

 be sure that your leader, where your sinker is put on, and 

 where the heaviest strain generally comes, be stronger than 

 your hook length, and of two strands of strong gut, or three 

 strands of medium size ; for by that means, if you should be 

 so unfortunate as to get fouled on the bottom, you will es- 

 cape with the loss of your hook only, whereas if your tackle 

 be of an uniform strength, you will most" likely lose the whole, 

 line, sinker, hooks, and all, which may probably make you 

 swear ; and this, according to Walton, is a bad practice ; for 

 as the old adage goes, ' He who Bwears takes no fish.' 



" You are to remember that in boat fishing, if you do not 

 fish with a float, or with a running or sliding sinker on the 

 bottom, your sinker should be light enough to float off with 

 the tide, and be able to feel the bottom at all times, so that if 

 your sinker be 20 feet off, you can still feel k strike the bot- 

 tom, and lift it up, when you can let out more line. I prefer 

 this mode of fishing, both for basse and weak-fish, to any 

 other; and you will be likely to get better fish, and more of 

 them. 



" You are to consider, also, the times of tide, the baite in 

 season, the quietness of the spot selected for your fishing, (for 

 the basse, like the trout, will avoid all places where there is 

 an unusual noise,) and the full or neapt tides, which latter are 

 allowed by all salt water Anglers to be the best time for 

 taking fish, and which I know to be the fact from experience. 

 This time of tide, when it happens early in the morning, or 

 towards sun-down, with the wind offshore, and a gentle rip- 

 ple on the water, is the time when basse are most upon the 

 feed, and the sportsman's efforts are generally crowned with 

 success. 



