"I suppose the fishermen like to pick out the best places," said Harry.
"Yes—there's a mad race on the day the season opens. You've got to get your cod-trap anchored in four days, with the net that leads from the shore put in place: and it's a big job to do it in that time.
"Then there's what they call the cod-seine. That's worked by seven men. The seine-master, fish-glass in hand, stands in the bow: and the minute he sights the school of fish he gives orders for the nets to be dropped.
"The men row in a circle and return to a buoy, paying out the net as they go.
"The bottom rope is weighted, and they gather it round a central anchor into a bag as they row. It's not so easy as it sounds, but 'practice makes perfect.' When they've got the fish bagged in this way they may scoop them up whenever they like.
"Other kinds of nets, as well as lines, are used.
"While those who use the lines generally take great pains to put on them the bait they think Mr. and Mrs. Cod will like, some fishermen make the others very angry by 'jigging' with unbaited hooks.
"This means that two hooks, joined back to back with a bit of lead that sinks them, are dropped where the fish are most thickly crowded.
"Then the line is jerked up and down. Half a dozen fish may be hurt for one that is hooked."
"What becomes of the one that gets hurt?" asked Harry.