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Remember to vary your flies according to the state of the weather and water small light-coloured flies on bright days and in clear water; large dark ones on cold windy days or in a coloured water. Accustom yourself to use the finest tackle you can: you will have far more real sport in killing a big fish with tackle that would not lift half his weight, than if you dragged the poor brute out "by the hair of his head." In the evening, when you cannot tell what obstacles may be in the way, and you must hold a fish fast if you want to kill him, then stronger tackle is certainly necessary; and, having read all this advice, remember one chief rule above all others, "Don't let the fish see you!"

SEA FISHING.

Although it is beyond all doubt that the capture of fresh-water fish with the rod and line requires more skill and patience, and a greater knowledge of their habits, than is necessary to ensure success in salt water, yet there is much to be learned and much practice is required before one can attain to anything like proficiency; and although in the far north the glorious salmon affords to those who have the good fortune to be able to enjoy it the most exciting sport, and the trout in the more southern parts of this country is prized almost as much, yet there is something most enjoyable and fascinating in sea fishing, which amply repays one for the comparative discomfort it entails, although such a word is scarcely known in connection with sport by those who are its genuine votaries.

We will now proceed to lay before our young readers a list of the various kinds of sea-fish which are generally caught with hand-lines, and also a few plain directions for making the best sort of tackle; and while on this subject we may observe that although, generally speaking, the lines, &c., of our fishermen at the various watering-places are of the roughest kind, and although they take abundance of fish, we are convinced from the experience of some years that he who takes the pains to make fine tackle-though of course of sufficient strength-will be fully repaid. We remember a gentleman who used neat twisted horsehair for his “snoods" (the short lines to which the hooks are attached), instead of the clumsy cord ones which two fishermen had in the same boat with him, on more than one occasion caught nearly double the number of whiting that t! ey d:d.

Much sport may be had at most of our watering-places in fishing for dabs, flounders, &c., and the same kind of tackle may be used for them, and, indeed, for nearly every kind of sea-fish. It is of the most simple construction, and is made as shown in the annexed engraving.

A is a leaden plummet (regulated in size according to the strength of the tide, for it is desirable that the bait should be kept as near the bottom as possible), weighing about half a pound and of the shape shown in the drawing, having a hole bored through it capable of allowing a piece of whalebone, about 15 in. long and of the thickness of an ordinary lead pencil, to be passed through it and fixed by its middle. At each end of the piece of whalebone should be attached a "snood," made of twisted hair or the fine line sold for the purpose, about 15 in. long, to which the hooks are fastened. At the upper end of the plummet the hand-line must be attached, which should be carefully wetted and stretched before being used, in order to take all the "kink" out of it. It should

be 40 or 50 yards long. This line is used as follows: the hooks being baited with lug-worm, the soldier crab, mussels, &c., all of which are capital baits, they are lowered over the side of a boat until the plummet reaches the bottom; it is then raised sufficiently to allow the baits to clear it, and the line should be held between the finger and thumb of the right hand, which should rest on the gunwale of the boat. Immediately a fish bites, which is known by a sudden

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and sharp tug at the line, it should be pulled sharply and suddenly upwards. If the fish is hooked, he should be hauled on board at once, unless it be a large one, in which case it is advisable to give him line and gradually bring him to the surface, when he should be secured by a gaff and hauled on board. Nearly every kind of fish which frequents our coast may be taken by this kind of tackle, and, indeed, we know of no better. Good sport may, however, be had by fish ing with a strong pike-rod and running-line and large cork float; but we much question its being equal to the hand-line. Numbers of fish of all kinds ar caught by means of a long line called a “trot," the length of which may be optional-from 50 yards to 500, or even double or treble that length. At intervals of a fathom, snoods should be attached to it, each having a strong whiting-hook securely fastened. The hooks should be baited as before de scribed; and just at the commencement of the flood tide the line, each end of which should be secured to a heavy stone or other weight, must be laid on the sand across the tide, viz., parallel with the shore, and care should be taken not to lay the line on the dry sand. the best way is to walk into the water up to your knees before laying the line; for if it be laid on the sand before the tide reaches it, there are innumerable insects always at the extreme edge of the water, which will devour every atom of your bait before the fish find it.

Simple as it may appear, there is a right and a wrong way of making this line, and we will now endeavour to put our young friends in the right way. If for in-shore fishing, procure 150 or 200 yards of cord, called at the fishing towns "marline." Get the "kink" out of it by soaking it for an hour or two in water, and stretching it out its full length. And now for the hooks and snoods (the proper twine for which is sold at all fishing towns).

Take the extreme end of the snood line between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, and draw the line between the finger and thumb of the right hand until the end reaches up the right arm just above the elbow: this will

give you the proper length; then with the finger and thumb of the right hand make a "half-hitch," or loop, the line next the ball being undermost; then place the shank of your hook through the loop, and make another half-hitch the contrary way; hold the hook with the left hand, hold the short end of the line in your teeth and the line next the ball in your right hand, and draw the knot tight on the hook; then cut off the line next the ball about one-eighth of an inch from the knot, and your hook is firmly tied, and will never draw. Never tie a hook on the end of the line if you can avoid it, but always proceed as above, and for this reason: when the hook is tied on in the way described, all the strain of a fish is on the lower hitch; but if the hook be tied on at the end of the line, the strain will of course be on the upper one, and therefore more likely to draw. Attention to trifling matters of this kind will always amply repay you for the slight trouble they may occasion.

At each end of the line should be a loop by means of which you can attach a stone or other weight, then holding the end in the left hand, stretch it out as far as you can to the left; then run the line through the right hand, which must be held out in the same way to the right: this will give you the proper distance; then take one of the snoods, tie a knot in it at the end, and fasten it to the line by two halfhitches; this will never slip, on account of the knot at the end. This way would do equally well for tying on a hook if a large one, but for small ones it would be in the way.

The best way of keeping this line is in a half butter-tub, the large line being coiled round the inside, and the snoods and hooks lying in the centre. It is a good plan to loop up each hook on its own snood, so that when you draw the line out of the tub, the hooks, being reversed, will not take hold of anything that may happen to come

in their way, and when they are wanted for use they can be easily undone. Those of our young friends who may be fortunate enough to visit Scotland, particularly the west coast, will find a most amusing and successful mode of fishing during the summer months. Four or five or more stout rods, about 6 or 7 ft. long, must be procured, and to the end of each must be attached a strong line about the same length, and to the end of the line should be tied a length of twisted horsehair about 3 ft. long, and to the end of this piece of horsehair is fastened what is called a fly, though we certainly never saw any living creature bearing the slightest resemblance to it. It is composed simply of two white fowls' feathers tied to a No. 6 hook, which might be supposed to represent wings. To use this very successful bait, you must procure a boat, and a man, who must row you about very slowly. Your rods should be held out from the sides of the boat, so that the flies and lines are clear of it. As the boat is rowed forward, the flies, of course, trip on the surface of the water, and are greedily taken by the voracious salmon really faster than you can take them off the hooks. We have taken on one occasion more than a hundred in the course of an hour and a half off Oban. We have also taken them in great numbers in the Sound of Mull, also at Stornoway, and at the north end of the Crinan Canal.

Another mode of taking several kinds of sea-fish is by means of what is called "whiffing." It is simply a long baited line, without any lead, towed astern of a boat either under easy sail, or while being pulled by oars, or when at anchor if the tide is strong. The line is held in the hand, and must be struck sharply the moment a bite is felt.

The best method for keeping the lines for sea fishing is to have a frame made of wood about 9 in. square, as shown in the engraving. The line should be wound round it in both directions. It is then easily carried, and will not get entangled, and is easily "paid off" when wanted for

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use.

Soon after the mackerel appear on our coasts, great sport may be had by fishing for them with a long line and a "spoon" bait, which may be had at any of the tackle-shops. This mode of fishing is practised from a boat under sail. There being two or more swivels on the line, the bait, by the action of the water, revolves and glistens as it passes through it, and

is a never-failing bait for these fish.
Bass and grey mullet may also be taken in the same way.

SHOOTING.

SINGLE AND DOUBLE BARRELS.-All shot guns are, as a rule, made with either one or two barrels. The single-barrelled gun is very seldom used in Great Britain by the adult sportsman, but many are made and sold for the use of boys, at the price of £5 to £6, or even less, partly on account of the reduction in weight, but mainly because it requires considerable practice to use a pair of barrels with advantage to sport and without danger to the sportsman or his attendants. Whether for one or other form of gun, the barrel is made on the same principles and with the same choice of metal. These principles vary according to the metal, which is either a mixture of tough soft iron and steel, or of a pure but mild steel throughout. Before the barrels are stocked, they are finally proved, either at Birmingham by the Guardians', or in London by the Gunmakers' Company, formed for that purpose. This is done by exploding in them certain charges of powder and lead, according to the bore, &c., on two occasions, known as the first and the definitive proof. All guns sold in England (the Act does not include Scotland or Ireland) must have the proof marks of one of the abovementioned companies stamped on the barrel or barrels, the penalty for selling without such marks being £20. On the next page are the proof marks, the upper being of the first proof, and the lower of the second :

LONDON.

14

BIRMINGHAM.

If choked, the words "not for ball" are added.

THE LOCK, whether for hammered or hammerless guns, consists of a mainspring, which, when compressed, acts on a striker, and, through it, on a cap containing the fulminate. The spring may be flat or spiral, the former being greatly to be preferred for several reasons.

THE STOCK is made of wood (generally walnut), and is intended to combine together the various parts, so as to enable the sportsman to bring the gun to his shoulder and aim easily at the object shot at. As those using guns vary greatly in length of neck and arm, it is necessary that a different bend shall be given to the stock-for it is obvious that a long-necked man will require a more crooked stock than a short-necked one; so also a long arm requires a longer stock, while a wide chest demands that a stock shall be more bent sideways, or, as it is called, "cast off." The best plan in getting fitted is to take up several guns in succession in the maker's shop, and rapidly bringing them to the shoulder, aim them at the eye of the attendant, who will at once see when the aim is correct, and will stock the new gun like that he has selected as fit for the purpose.

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GREENER'S TREBLE-WEDGE FAST GUN. (HAMMERED. HALF-SIZR.)

Guns are either hammered or hammerless. Hammered guns, with doublegrip actions, are sold wholesale at Birmingham and Liége at from 40s. to 50s. each, and retail at 4/. To the eye of the inexperienced they look well, but I should not advise my readers to trust their lives to them, as the barrels are not dependable, nor are the locks so accurately made as to act with safety. At £6 a sound gun may be obtained with double grip, and a £10 one with

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