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A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing
A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing
A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing
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A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing

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This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience. Carefully selecting the best articles from our collection we have compiled a series of historical and informative publications on the subject of angling. The titles in this range include "A Fisherman's Guide to Baits" "The Joy of Fly-Fishing" "A Guide to Sea Fishing" and many more. Each publication has been professionally curated and includes all details on the original source material. This particular instalment, "A Guide to Sea Fishing" contains information on baits, fish recognition, sea fish varieties and other aspects of sea fishing. It is intended to illustrate aspects of sea fishing and serves as a guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject and understand the field in its historical context. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 6, 2015
ISBN9781473395350
A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing

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    A Guide to Sea Fishing - A Selection of Classic Articles on Baits, Fish Recognition, Sea Fish Varieties and Other Aspects of Sea Fishing - Read Books Ltd.

    Baits for Sea Fishing

    By ARTHUR F. BELL

    (Hon. Secretary of the British Sea Anglers Association)

    THE subject of Baits is one of extreme interest to sea anglers, partly because although the baits are innumerable, the particular one required is not always available, either at the time or in the place where the angler happens to be.

    Artificial Baits

    Let us consider artificial lures first—there are countless varieties of them. The most common and time-honoured is the ordinary mackerel spinner, which has been used by both professional and amateur fishermen for many a year. The two modern favourites are (a) the bright spinner silvered on one side and coloured bronze on the reverse, and (b) celluloid spinners, white on one side and red on the other. I have a slight preference for the former and prefer a single hook to a treble.

    A spinner for either Mackerel or Bass is infinitely more attractive when a small strip or last of mackerel skin is attached to the hook.

    Secondly there is the spoon, which is used mostly for Bass fishing, particularly when casting from the shore. The best size is I think a two-inch. It is important that it should be bright and silvered on both sides.

    Spoons are not as a rule very successful baits for Pollack. For these fish the most effective and common artificial lure is a rubber sand-eel. The best colours are red and black; it is curious, but in some localities one colour is more popular with the fish than the other. An enquiry regarding this local preference is advisable. Some rubber eels are made with a small spinner at the head, but I doubt very much whether this adds to its attractiveness as much as it does to its price!

    TYING UP

    Devon minnows, feather minnows and various celluloid imitations of fish are to be numbered with successful lures. There are many varieties of them, and experiments on the Bass of any locality are worth while.

    Flies also come under the heading of artificial lures. They are used with no small success when fishing from rocks for Bass, Mackerel or Coalfish. The two types most used are the soleskin and the blue-and-silver fly. Both are good, but the soleskin is probably better for Bass and the blue-and-silver for Mackerel and Coalfish. A great deal of fly fishing is done from Filey Brigg in Yorkshire, where the most suitable flies can be obtained locally.

    In addition any bright salmon fly will take these fish if those recommended are not available.

    Semi-artificial Baits

    Next in importance are dead baits attached to flights or spinners. There are several kinds, of which the best known are dead or preserved sand-eels and the ordinary eel tail. For sand-eels I find a simple Thames flight mounted with very small trebles is best. It is necessary to bend the tail of the sand-eel to impart a spin or wobble to it in the water. The eel-tail can be mounted on a similar flight or on a small dead-bait spinner as used for Pike fishing. When neither of these are obtainable any small bright fish mounted on a flight may prove attractive to either Bass or Pollack.

    Natural Baits

    Last but not least is the group of natural baits, which are used far more generally than any other.

    Lugworms are a unanimous favourite. The correct place to dig for them is on that portion of a sandy shore which dries out at low water, but is covered when the tide is high. They are found easily—in every case they make large worm casts. The method of digging is to find a cast, then look for a small dent or hole which will be found some six inches away from the cast. The spade is inserted between the two and a few inches to the side. This delving must be done very rapidly to prevent the worm’s escape. Lugworms can nearly always be obtained from the local tackle merchants and bait-dealers, and may be dispatched from one place to another without harm. They are good all-round baits, particularly for flat fish, Whiting and Cod.

    Following the lugworm we must consider the almost equally well-known ragworm. This can be divided more or less into two classes: the king rag which is very local and is obtainable mainly in the neighbourhood of Southend and Margate, where it frequents the mud. King ragworms attain enormous proportions, being sometimes as much as a foot or more in length. The ordinary ragworm, which is obtainable on many parts of the coast, is sought and dug for among seaweed and mud. I have always preferred the smaller type of ragworm, being inclined to think that fish in localities where the king rag is not found are a little nervous of this large and snake-like creature.

    The ordinary ragworm is used either threaded on the hook like a lugworm, or better still several can be attached to the hook by their noses (if noses they possess) so that they wriggle attractively in the water.

    Mussels

    Mussels are a splendid stand-by when all else fails. They can be found on rocks, jetty piles and breakwaters. A tempting bait, they have one great disadvantage. They are so very soft and do not adhere well to the hook. It is a good plan after opening the mussels to place them in hot water—do not boil, but let them remain long enough to harden. They lose very little of their attractiveness, but become much firmer. Practically any of the bottom fishes will accept mussels, the Cod being particularly fond of this mollusc.

    Other shellfish such as limpets, whelks, etc., can be used, but act only as a stopgap.

    The Razor Fish

    Razor fish may be found on most sandy shores, but are rather difficult to come by. This curious creature, in its razor-like case, protrudes its head from the sand and must be dug for with great rapidity.

    The Hermit Crab

    The tiny hermit crabs which inhabit whelk shells are a remarkably good bait for bottom fishing, but are not easy to obtain. They may be caught in prawn nets or prawn pots.

    Prawns and Shrimps

    A live prawn is unquestionably one of the best baits for either Bass or Pollack, particularly the former. They are caught either with a prawning net among the rock pools, by means of a baited net let down from a jetty or pier, or in prawn pots. To keep them alive they must be placed in a basket which should be allowed to drift on the surface of the water. It will not harm prawns to any extent if the basket is brought into the boat when it is under way, but it is very necessary to keep them out of the wind and sun.

    Shrimps are a useful bait for Bass when prawns are not available, but a shrimp must be fished on a very much smaller hook and with fine gut.

    Soft Crabs

    The ordinary hard-shelled crab is not much used as a bait, but at the time of year (generally early summer) when it casts its shell, matters are different. Soft crabs are to be found as a rule hiding in seaweed or rocks, and are a splendid bait for any fish, including Bass. They are much used by anglers who cast from the shore.

    The Sand-eel

    This is probably the best bait in the world for Bass. Sand-eels frequent most sandy coasts and can be dug or scraped for at low spring tide. It is necessary to locate those sandbanks or sand patches which are completely covered at high water and where sand-eels are known inhabitants. Local information is useful here. Sand-eel digging, though strenuous, is a fascinating pastime. A special spade is used and short sideway strokes are made in rapid succession, throwing up the sand on to the top of the spit. The digging should be done on the edge of the spit, and as soon as an eel is seen leaping and dancing on the sand it must be grabbed or it will go to ground quickly. Where they cannot be caught by digging, it is possible to take them in a sand-eel seine net. The net must be of very small mesh and is drawn round a shoal of eels seen in the water. This is a method, however, which should be left to an expert.

    Methods of hooking sand-eels were described in my previous article on Bass fishing.

    Sand-eels die easily and must be kept in the water as much as possible in a box or courge. When the boat is in motion they should be brought in board and placed in a large receptacle such as a half barrel, the water being changed at frequent intervals.

    Live sand-eels are acceptable to almost any fish. I have used them with success in deep water for Pollack fishing.

    The Lamper Eel

    This is a curious small eel hardly worth mentioning, which runs up various streams. I have known it to prove an excellent stand-by for Pollack or Bass fishing. It is attached to the hook by its curious sucker-like mouth.

    The Fresh-water Eel

    If (as is not very frequent) it is possible to obtain really small silver eels, they are an excellent live bait, particularly for Pollack.

    Fish Baits

    The last class of baits includes dead fish. Probably the most valuable for this purpose is the mackerel. For Pollack fishing a long last or strip about five to six inches in length is cut and attached to the hook. When drift-line fishing for Mackerel a similar but much smaller strip should be used. Small slabs of mackerel are good for Whiting and other bottom fish, particularly in some localities. I have found, for instance, that off the Cornish coast mackerel is infinitely preferable to any of the more usual baits for Whiting; treble the catch can be made if this bait is available.

    The best bait of all for a Tope is probably a whole mackerel, preferably small and necessarily fresh-hooked, on two hooks. Large slabs of mackerel are also excellent baits for Conger, Ling, Skate and other large bottom fish.

    Pilchards, which are obtainable in Cornwall, are probably even more appetising than mackerel, but are far less firm in texture and do not therefore adhere very well to the hook. A whole pilchard is appealing for either big Pollack or a Conger, while lasts of pilchard either used alone or as sandwiches with strips of mackerel are responsible for the demise of innumerable Pollack. When drift-line fishing for Mackerel a small strip of pilchard is an infinitely better bait than a strip of mackerel; this is due probably to the oiliness of pilchard, and its attractive smell (attractive, that is, to the fish).

    Herring forms a good substitute for the mackerel, but the latter is always preferable.

    Other dead-fish baits are of little use, with the possible exception of small whiting or pouting, which are taken readily by the big bottom fish provided that they are perfectly fresh. Sprats should be named for occasional use.

    The Squid

    The squid or cuttle-fish, obtainable on most parts of the coast, are a splendid bait for fish generally. Squid is particularly popular with the Conger, which fish enjoys it in large slices. I have had considerable success with squid, drift-line fishing for Pollack, for which I always use a tentacle attached by one end to the hook and allow it to wave provokingly in the water. Small pieces of squid serve as bottom-fishing baits, and are also employed with success by anglers who shore-fish for Bass.

    A small trout is a most excellent bait for almost all sea fish. I discovered this when Trout fishing in Devonshire, where for lack of bait I tried a trout both for Bass from the shore and for Conger in deep water. It proved infinitely more acceptable than small whiting, pouting or other sea fish, and accounted for Bass, Pollack, Skate and Conger. This hint is worth remembering.

    Within the scope of this article it is not possible to mention all baits, but I have covered most of those which are considered generally effective.

    Sea-Hooks and Baits.

    By L. VERNON BATES.

    IN my view, a good hook must be fine in the wire, well tempered and needle-sharp.

    It should have a tapered shank, to which the gut is attached by a neat binding, NOT by an enormous clumsy eye. This applies to hooks up to Size 1. In the larger sizes a neat eye is permissible.

    It should be comparatively wide in the gape to ensure a good hold.

    Do sea fishing hooks conform to these standards? Not by a long chalk?

    If you want hooks fit to fish with, buy those made for fresh-water fishing. River anglers are more particular, and tackle makers have satisfied their demands. Most sea anglers are still content to fish with almost anything.

    Unfortunately, the range of river-fishing hooks does not cover all the sizes required by sea anglers. If it did, the problem would be solved easily. The smallest sea hook in general use is round about No. 6 or No. 7—rarely the latter. These, and the next few sizes larger, can be obtained in river quality. But when we need the larger sizes, the range of river bait hooks peters out. As an alternative salmon fly hooks can be used. They satisfy the requirements previously enumerated except that, not being intended to carry bait, they are not particularly wide in the gape.

    Perhaps, some day, the manufacturers will realise that there is a demand for sea tackle of better quality. Then we shall get the tools we need.

    Except for the very largest fish, such as tunny, thresher shark, etc., the hook sizes used in British sea fishing range from No. 7 to No. 6/0, and the all-round sea angler has use for every one of them.

    One often hears a hook described as a bass hook an eel hook or a whiting hook. What are bass, eel, or whiting hooks? In bass fishing you may need any size between No. 8 and No. 3/0, according to the type of bait in use.

    The illustration speaks for itself.

    What, then, is a bass hook? There is no such thing, and an experienced angler would not think of walking into a tackle dealer and ordering his supplies in this way. They are all fishing hooks of varying sizes to suit different baits.

    It is the bait that is fitted to the fish, not the hook. The hook is fitted to the bait.

    This is sufficiently important to justify the italics and is the whole point of the present article. The relationship between hook and bait sizes is vital; on it depends the effective hooking of a fish.

    The first essential is to choose a bait which is appropriate to the fish. This involves consideration of two rather important factors:—

    (1) The size of the fish’s mouth.

    (2) Its method of taking the bait.

    Small-mouthed fish, such as eels, dabs and bream, obviously call for a very small bait which they are able to mouth easily.

    The method of taking the bait is closely connected with the factor of mouth size. Some fish, usually the voracious large-mouthed type, take a bait with a rush, and it is safe to strike almost as soon as the bite is felt. Others are more dainty, and will pick and suck it, taking quite a time to get it down. Flounders and eels are particularly noted for this kind of bite.

    The secret of successful baiting is to make the bait easy for the fish to assimilate. When this is achieved the quarry almost invariably hooks itself, without any help from the angler. On the other hand, the longer it is compelled to tamper with a bait before mouthing it, the greater will be the danger of arousing suspicion, to say nothing of the likelihood of premature striking.

    Hook selection is a secondary but highly important factor. No matter how carefully the hook may be selected, the fundamental principles of successful hooking are violated if the bait is inappropriate.

    When selecting the appropriate hook, forget entirely the type of fish which is sought. It has no bearing on the hook size. The hook must be fitted to the bait, not to the fish. There is a strong temptation, when angling for large fish, to use a disproportionately large hook, even if the bait is on the small side. As an example, suppose we are fishing with small shrimps for shy summer bass. An appropriate hook size would be 4 or 5, perhaps even 6. But many anglers, in the hope of big fish, would use a Size 1 or 2. Why? The smaller sizes, with appropriate baits, are just as efficient as the larger from a hooking point of view, and infinitely more deadly when the fish are shy.

    The ideal is the smallest hook which will carry a bait without the latter acting as a buffer.

    This question of too small hooks is just as serious as that of using them too big. When a fish is struck it is essential that the hook goes right home, and that a good portion of the quarry’s jaw lies in the bend. If the bend of the hook is filled with an unyielding bait the fish will only be pricked or at best insecurely hooked, and the strike ineffective.

    Bait texture must, therefore, be considered when choosing a hook. If it is firm, as say herring, it is obvious that a slightly larger hook is necessary to avoid the difficulty to which I have referred. On the other hand, with a delicate bait, such as shuck crab or ragworm, which will not jamb up the bend, a slightly smaller hook can be used.

    The little things which are often overlooked matter greatly. Millions of fish are lost somewhere between the bite and the net, and in the majority of cases the cause is ineffective hooking. What goes before may help to remedy the trouble.

    To sum up: The bait must be suited to the fish. This does not mean you cannot use a small bait for a large fish; it is often more deadly. It does, however, mean that you should never use a bait which is too large for your fish.

    Having chosen the correct bait, fit it to the appropriate hook, suited to the bait, not the fish.

    It follows automatically that if your bait is suited to your fish, and your hook is suited to your bait, then your hook is suited to your fish—AT LAST.

    If this appears complicated, please read it again slowly.

    WHICH IS IT: LUCK, OR GOOD MANAGEMENT?

    by D. F. Kelley

    The Banjo at Looe, Cornwall, which has produced its share of outsize bass

    WE hear from time to time of freak captures of outsize bass: by either tyros on their first outing, or a small boy using the most improbable tackle. Only last year a youngster at Looe, competing in the Festival against the flower of both local and visiting talent, beat them all with a specimen weighing 12 lb.; and there was also a novice who joined some experts on a famous mark, who hauled in an eleven-pounder at his first cast.

    This kind of thing happens every year, with tantalizing regularity. And yet there are acknowledged experts who, fishing week in and week out, year after year, never manage to capture a really big fish.

    Is this just plain luck? The question is not easy to answer. It is, however, certain that although (owing to their scarcity) there must always be a strong element of luck in the capture of a large bass, the law of averages ensures that any angler who sets about his fishing in the right way must eventually hook one of the elusive specimens.

    This article is based on an analysis of 185 well-authenticated bass which weighed 8 lb. or more (caught during the past four years), and attempts to focus the various factors which contribute to success.

    Let us take the very important question of where to fish first, and follow with the when and how.

    Where to Fish

    Dividing the catch by counties we get the following order of merit:

    Devon leads dominantly, but allowances must be made for the varying amount of fishing in different counties, and for the incompleteness of reports from some areas; particularly Dorset and the S.W. corner of Wales. Most striking is perhaps the number of big bass taken in Sussex and Kent. Kent is not regarded generally as a bass county, and is certainly not fished so extensively for bass as either Devon or Cornwall. Another noteworthy feature is the absence of any substantial specimens from waters north of a line from Suffolk to Anglesey. This demonstrates the southerly distribution of the species.

    Although on an 8 lb. limit Devon maintains a clear lead, a different and very interesting change takes place when the limit is raised to 10 lb. Devon still leads, but is only fractionally ahead of Sussex. These are the figures:

    Sussex can in fact claim the highest honours for the capture of really big bass, because they are much less fished for in this county than in Devon. While Devon’s comparatively poor position is confirmed by the experience of more than a score of my acquaintances, all of whom are experts with years of experience: only two of them have ten-pounders to their credit. It is of interest, too, that eight of the Devonshire bass were taken in two autumn months of 1952 within eight miles of each other. But for these last minute additions from Dartmouth, Devon’s position would indeed be poor.

    Boat or Shore Fishing?

    In all the larger estuaries of the southwest: Exe, Dart, Salcombe, Yealm, Fowey, Fal, Camel and Taw, anglers fish far more from boats than from the shore, while in other areas the position is reversed. On balance however, boat-anglers may be slightly more numerous than shore anglers. It is surprising therefore to find that of the 185 large bass in question only forty-two were taken from boats, and that most of these were taken from two well-known marks on the south east coast, namely, Shakespeare Point and Beachy Head. Anglers fishing from either the beach or rocks would therefore appear to have the advantage.

    A famous Cornish beach under ideal conditions

    Which is the Best Season?

    The following table shows when the large bass reported from the four leading counties were caught. The number of large bass from other counties is too small for a reasonable inference to be drawn:

    From this it is clear that on the South West Coast the autumn period (mid-August to mid-November) is indisputably the most productive, while in the south-east the Spring (March to May) has the strongest claim.

    In the case of fish weighing more than 10 lb. the distinction is even more marked:

    A more detailed analysis of the 140 specimens from the same four counties shows that no fish were recorded in either February or December, and only three in July which is generally regarded as one of the best months for bass.

    Other Factors Worth Noting

    Incomplete records prevent a detailed break-down under other headings, but the following general picture emerges:

    (1) Weather. Strong winds, preferably accompanied by surf, promise the best bass-fishing; but one or two freak captures have occurred on a hot and calm summer day.

    (2) Time of Day. Fish taken in daylight outnumber those taken after dark by three to one—but as fewer anglers fish at night the difference is not perhaps significant.

    (3) Tides. There is no common factor. Every haunt of bass has its own special tide condition when the bass are most likely to feed.

    (4) Methods. Most of the big fish, especially the really large ones, were taken on either ledger or paternoster tackle fished from the beach. Float-fishing was a good second, followed by trolling, while spinning was the least effective.

    (5) Baits. Three baits, peeler-crab (for bottom-fishing); live prawn (for float-fishing); and sandeels either natural or artificial for spinning and trolling, stand out from a surprisingly long list of baits, as the most killing. Other useful baits include lugworm, king-rag, squid, razorfish, herring and pilchard.

    I will conclude with a personal note. During twenty years bass-fishing (mainly in Devon and Cornwall) I have caught many hundreds of sizeable bass, but not one which weighed more than 10 lb.; and the proportion of my captures which weighed over 8 lb. is but 1 per cent. Perhaps this is as good a measure as any of the bass fisherman’s chances of picking up a really large bass. Are big bass caught by

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