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When shell fish get in they cannot escape. This basket is regularly drawn up, emptied of its contents, and replaced, and in this manner a vast quantity is taken.

Lobsters are taken in nearly a similar manner, by what are called "lobster pots." These are made of netting, supported by wicker hoops, with an opening at each end in form of a funnel, so that when the lobster once enters, he cannot possibly get out again; and from the size of the orifice, which is of wicker, attached to the netting, one would think he must have exercised extraordinary ingenuity to have contrived to have introduced himself. These pots are baited with fish, and set in a similar manner to those for buckies, but in deeper water, and in the immediate vicinity of a rocky coast, where they are generally numerous. There is a heavy stone in each "pot," to keep it down, a cord to secure it, and a buoy to indicate its position. There is sometimes a flat board, on which the net work is fixed for better security, this being underneath; a heavy stone in the interior carrying the whole apparatus steadily to the bottom.

LONG-LINE FISHING FOR HADDOCK, CODLING, WHITING, FLOUNDERS, &c.

This line needs not be either so long or so strong as the one used for larger fish. If you have 500 hooks, which is a fair quantity, your line must be 1,500 feet in length; the snoodings on which the hooks are fastened being only three feet apart these are three feet long; two feet of strong whipcord, and one foot of horsehair; the hooks of moderate size, the common tin ones being the best. This line can be bought ready made at any of the fishing-tackle shops in the large towns of Scotland. They are sometimes made with as many as 1,500 hooks; but a line of this size could not be baited and arranged for setting under an entire day, even if two skilful hands were employed; and two are requisite, one for the purpose of opening the mussels, the other for putting them on the hooks. For one man it would be an endless task; but a line of 500 hooks is sufficient to take a good quantity of fish, and show excellent sport; better, I have always thought, than the stronger line, as you take more fish, and a greater variety, though the weight will be considerably less.

The only bait for this line is the mussel; and some skill is requisite in opening the shell and

putting the bait securely on the hooks. If it be badly opened, or unskilfully put on your hooks, even if well opened, you may lose all your baits and take no fish; you must, therefore, take care to get a person who thoroughly understands baiting the line to perform the operation. In the first place, the mussels must be taken out of the shell entire; especial care being taken not to cut the head in half, as the hook must be passed through the head, that being the only hard part capable of holding it, and then twice through the body, the latter being twisted round, so as to cover the point of the hook; with this precaution the bait cannot be taken without the fish being caught.

This line is set precisely in the same manner as the larger one, with two buoys and a stone at each end; but there is some difference to be observed as to the time of setting it, and also as to the length of time of its remaining in the water. The best time for setting this line is at day-break. If there be plenty of fish in the loch one hour will be quite long enough allow it to remain; if fish be scarce, then two hours; but on no account longer, as skate, large cod, and conger eels would take your whiting or small flounders, and break and damage your line, his line not being strong enough to hold heavy fish. It will hold haddock well enough; but even

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these, when large, must be humoured and played with as you draw them to the surface, always having some one ready by your side with the gaff, to hook and lift them out of the water.

The Scotch haddock are sometimes as fine and weighty as the Dublin Bay, being from five to eight pounds; these, of course, require the gaff. If the weather prevent your setting this line in the morning, then the afternoon may be tried, about two or three hours before dark; and if the tide be rising, this time will answer as well as the morning. It must be taken up in an hour, or hour and a half, as the operation of drawing it in will require nearly an hour in favourable weather, and considerably longer if the sea be rough, and you have many fish. This line will require the same number of hands, and similar management in taking up, as the larger one; and must be deposited with equal care and regularity in the basket placed expressly to receive it. If the weather be fine and calm, the assistance of one man to row your boat, and another to gaff and unhook your fish, will be all that you will need; but if the sea be rough, the boat cannot be kept steadily in the direction you wish it to be without two men at the oars; and these men must thoroughly understand their business, otherwise the taking up of the line efficiently becomes a very difficult operation.

When the line is carefully taken up and depo

sited methodically and regularly in the basket, it requires comparatively little time to prepare it for re-baiting and resetting; but if it be taken up in a careless and slovenly manner, and the fish not unhooked regularly, it will require hours to disentangle it. On being brought home it ought to be hung up immediately to dry, on a bar of wood placed horizontally between two poles; out of doors if the weather be fine and dry, within doors if it be damp or wet. Without this precaution it would soon become rotten and useless. When perfectly dry, it may be placed in the basket ready for re-baiting. This line, like all others, and nets, must be always kept out of the reach of mice and rats, especially when it is baited overnight, ready for setting in the morning. You cannot be too particular in this respect, the fresh mussel being an additional attraction.

DESTRUCTION OF VERMIN.

The preliminary measure towards the preservation of game is the destruction of vermin; without it, all other efforts and expense will be entirely unavailing; and as this can be accomplished by the adoption of proper means through

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