the line that is caught; pull hard at the latter and release the stone, which will run down the line and generally free it.

Mr. Hudson has quoted Mr. Suffling's "Circus line " at great length in his book on "Sea Fishing for Amateurs," to which I would refer my readers for this useful line, as it would be obviously impossible for me to re-quote it here.

Besides Cod and Codlings, large Pollack and Bass are also taken in October. The best proof of what a good month this is for fishing may be gathered from the back reports to the fishing papers, some of which I now quote: The October papers of 1886 report from Ilfracombe 100lb. per boat of Cod and Conger every day, as well as a Ling of 25lb., and a Shark weighing 500lb. Those of 1887 report good fishing on the South-west Coast, but bad on the North-east. In October, 1889, "C. J." and a friend had very fine sport with Marsh of Deal, where, baiting with lug and fresh herring, they caught 80 Whiting, 6 Cod, 6 Dabs, and some Pouting in three hours. The same number of the Gazette (November 2nd) reports 100lb. of Cod and Conger per tide at Ilfracombe, good catches of Billet and Coal-fish at Scarborough, Conger at Brighton, and Mackerel at Plymouth, where also a Pollack of 24 lb. was secured by Lord St. Levan.

It will be seen from the above that October affords more varied fishing, perhaps, than any other month; and it is for this reason, together with the fact that it is the conclusion, as a rule, of fine weather, that I have specially selected it as the last of my six months. It is a favourite month everywhere. The Lowestoft

shore-fishing does not begin till October, Deal is not up to much from July to September, and October is the favourite month for the South-west fisheries. Moreover, the weather is, as a rule, much milder than would be expected, and I found Bexhill in October, 1889, far milder than London. The boatmen, too, have relapsed into their old moderate spring prices, and the angler will be able to choose from double as many boats as he could have done in August, and at half the price.

CHAPTER XII.

NOVEMBER TO APRIL.

HAVE already alluded to my reasons for the period selected. November is generally a blank

month to the sea-fisherman, as the weather is positively unbearable; but it improves towards Christmas, and the middle of December is often lovely and as mild as October. The principal catches are Pout, which often run to 3lb. or 4lb., and Silver Whitingindeed, a friend assured me on one occasion, that the best Whiting-fishing he had ever enjoyed was at Brighton during this month; and from December to April may be called one unbroken period of fishing for Cod, Whiting, and Pout, which fishing, however, grows poorer from January onwards. Whiting are probably at their best about Christmas-time.

The early Spring is also a good season for flat fish, and Mackerel usually re-appear with the New Year. If November is a bad month for weather, April is, as a rule, bad for weather and fish too; for Cod and Whiting have disappeared, and the only fish to be had are flat 'fish and Pout, the latter in particularly poor condition.

.

These remarks bring my section on

"Time" to a

close. I have tried to describe fully and faithfully the

fishing peculiar to each month. I must, however, repeat my request for lenient criticism on the subject of repetition, for it is, as already shown, obviously impossible to draw hard-and-fast lines.

A brief summary of the contents of Part II. may be of help to those who use the work only as a reference book.

The best months for all-round fishing are obviously July, August, September, and October.

JULY
AUGUST

SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER

.

Pollack and Bass (also June).

Pout, Grey Mullet, and Bass.

Bass, Conger, Chad, and Gurnard.

Cod, Codlings, and Silver Whiting

Surface-fishing continues from May to July, and Whiffing at midwater and lower from August to October. The South-west stations are best after July; the Southeast Coast from June to August; and the East Coast from September to November.

PART III.

LOCALITY.

INTRODUCTION TO PART III.

HE addition of some detailed information as to the fishing to be had at some of our popular watering-places was in part suggested to me by Mr. Wilcocks' "Sea-Fisherman." I have, however, carried my information in some cases into great detail, and have, moreover, paid particular attention to our South Coast watering-places east of the Isle of Wight. It is all very well for a man to be told that there is good fishing to be had in Wales, or off the Land's End; but it is utterly impossible for a great number of holiday seekers to roam so far from the metropolis. The piers of such places as Hastings, Littlehampton, Brighton, &c., afford at times really good sport, but they are omitted by most writers, and barely mentioned in the "Angler's Diary." It seems time, therefore, that some book should contain minute information about these and similar places, and it will be my humble endeavour in the following pages to fill up this vacancy.

With most of the places described I have had personal