FISHERMAN'S BEND. A knot, for simplicity called the king of all knots. Its main use is for bending studding-halliards to the yard, by taking two turns round the yard, passing the end between them and the yard, and half hitching it round the standing part. (See [Studding-sail Bend].)
FISHERMAN'S WALK. An extremely confined space; "three steps and overboard," is often said of what river yachtsmen term their quarter-decks.
FISH-FAG. A woman who fags under heavy fish-baskets, but is applied also in opprobrium to slatterns.
FISH-FLAKE. A stage covered with light spars for the purpose of drying fish in Newfoundland.
FISH-FRONT. The strengthening slab on a made mast.
FISH-GARTH. The water shut in by a dam or weir by the side of a river for securing fish.
FISH-GIG. A staff with three, four, or more barbed prongs of steel at one end, and a line fastened to the other; used for striking fish at sea. Now more generally called grains.
FISH-HACK. A name of the Gobius niger.
FISHICK. An Orkney name for the brown whistle-fish, Gadus mustela.
FISHING. In taking celestial observations, means the sweeping to find a star or other object when near its approximate place.