218 FISH CAPTURE BY LINE. 



run freely as the boat shoots ahead. The 50-fathom line, with 

 100 hooks, is in Scotland termed a " taes." If there are eight 

 men in a boat the length of line will be 400 fathoms (2400 

 feet), with 800 hooks (the lines being tied to each other before 

 setting). On arriving at the fishing-ground the fishermen heave 

 overboard a cork buoy, with a flag-staff fixed to it about six feet 

 in height. The buoy is kept stationary by a line, called the 

 " pow-end," reaching to the bottom of the water, and having a 

 stone or small anchor fastened to the lower end. To the pow^ 

 end is also fastened the fishing-line, which is then " paid " out 

 as fast as the boat sails, which may be from four to five knots 

 an hour. Should the wind be unfavourable for the direction in 

 which the crew wish to set the line they use the oars. When 

 the line or taes is all out the end is dropped, and the boat 

 returns to the buoy. The pow-end is hauled up with the anchor 

 and fishing-line attached to it. The fishermen then haul in the 

 line with whatever fish may be on it. Eight hundred fish 

 might be taken (and often have been) by eight men in a few 

 hours by this operation; but many fishermen now say that 

 they consider themselves very fortunate when they get a fish 

 on every five hooks on an eight-taes line. Many a time too 

 the fish are all eaten off the line by " dogs " and other enemies, 

 so that only a few fragments and a skeleton or two remain to 

 show that fish have been caught. The fishermen of deck-welled 

 cod-bangers use both hand-lines and long-lines such as have been 

 described. The cod-bangers' tackling is of course stronger than 

 that used in open boats. The long-lines are called " grut-lines," 

 or great-lines. Every deck-weUed cod-banger carries a small 

 boat on deck for working the great-lines m moderate weather. 

 As soon as the cod and haddock are taken off the hooks they 

 are put into a " well," formed by a part of the smack's hold, 

 divided from the rest of the vessel by water-tight bulkheads. 

 The well occupies the whole breadth of the vessel, and the sea 

 has free access to it through auger holes bored in the sides and 

 bottorri of that part of the smack. When the well has been 

 sufficiently stored, the vessel returns to port with her cargo of 

 live fish, which are then transferred to chests, in which they are 

 kept afloat, and in good order, till wanted for market. Some 

 hundreds of these cod, according to the demand, are taken out 

 of the chests every afternoon, and after being killed by one or 

 two blows on the head, are sent by train to Billingsgate and 

 other markets, where they are sold as " live cod," and fetch 



