154 A YEAR OF SPOUT AND NATURAL HISTORY. 



out in two long noses into the sea, leave between them a deep 

 sandy ravine up which the tide can run and swirl at its leisure. 



Choosing the side which gives him the best chance with ^the 

 wind, he should walk down to the extreme end of the nose and 

 throw close to the rocks, but over the sand. Along the coast of 

 Cornwall, Devon, and Wales there are many such spots, and the 

 fishing is capital — not too brisk to take away the attraction of 

 mental exercise and skill, and not too slow to make a man give up 

 in despair. Perhaps in five minutes there will be a rise. Do not 

 strike hastily ; but when striking, strike with decision. There is a 

 short fight, lasting sometimes three or four minutes — for the Bass 

 is not very game — and then with a landing-net there is no 

 difficulty in lifting out a fish of five or six pounds weight. On a 

 good afternoon half a dozen may be landed in this way, and the 

 fisherman may go home well content with a full creel. 



There is another mode of catching this fish which also affords 

 good sport for an off day, and that is trolling from a boat. In this 

 case, again, the weather must be bright and sunny, with a fresh 

 breeze blowing. 



The equipment necessary is also very much the same as in the 

 former case, but instead of a fly, a sand eel on a large Steward 

 tackle, a large red indiarubber worm, or even a spoon bait must be 

 the lure. For boat fishing it is needless to say that not only is a 

 good fisherman essential, but also a good sailor. Hire a small 

 sailing boat and a man to attend to it, a man, too, who knows the 

 ins and outs of the coast, and can avoid the sunken rocks. This 

 knowledge is of importance, as the fishing ground is all along the 

 edge of the coast, and a false move, when the boat is well under 

 way, may have disastrous results. Again, the coast must not be 



