TURBOT. 
l6‘0 
toral fins in the form of an arch, and is continued 
from thence in a straight line to the tail. The eyes 
are on the left side. 
Great quantities of these fish are taken on the 
northern coasts of this kingdom, as well as on those 
of Holland : such indeed is the extent of this fishery 
on the continent, that the Hutch are said to pur- 
chase annually, from the Thames fishermen, seven 
hundred pounds worth of small lampreys for the 
purpose of baiting their hooks. In England the 
large turbots are generally taken by the hook and 
line, as the method of taking them in wares, or 
staked nets, is not to be depended on. Mr. Pen- 
nant laments that the inhabitants of many parts of 
our fishing coasts, and especially those of the north 
parts of North Wales, should be unacquainted with 
the most successful means of capture. That no 
endeavours to inform them may be wanting on his 
part, this gentleman has communicated the follow- 
ing particulars of the method used by the fisher- 
men at Scarborough, as they were related to him by 
Mr. Travis. 
When they go out to fish each person is provided 
with three lines ; each man’s lines are fairly coiled 
upon a flat oblong piece of wicker-work ; the hooks 
being baited, and placed very regularly in the cen- 
tre of the coil. Each line is furnished with four- 
teen score of hooks, at the distance of six feet two 
inches from each other. The hooks are fastened to 
the lines upon sneads of twisted horse-hair, twenty- 
seven inches in length. 
