The Sea Shore

by William S. Furneaux

It must not be understood, however, that we assume the reader’s disinclination to know anything of the inhabitants of deep water, but rather that we consider the whole subject of deep-sea fishing quite beyond the scope of this work. It is a fact that quite a large number of species, the forms and habits of which are extremely interesting, live exclusively on deep bottoms. These should undoubtedly be studied by all who are interested in the various phases of marine life; but unless the reader is prepared to practise sea fishing in all its branches—to put his trust in the restless sea, supplied with all the necessary heavy gear, and to risk those internal qualms that arise from the incessant swaying of the boat on open waters, he should make arrangements with the professional deep-sea fisher—preferably a trawler—for the supply of those disreputable species that invariably form part of the haul, while the better-known food fishes can always be obtained from dealers for purposes of study.

On one occasion we had a rather unique and very successful interview with a friendly trawler. She was sailing slowly towards her station in a south-western fishing port, while two of her crew were clearing her nets, and throwing all refuse into the sea. We rowed behind her in order to see the nature of the rejected portion of the haul, and finding that it included specimens of interesting fishes of ill repute, dead but perfectly fresh, we followed her track, and collected a few for future examination. Presently our movements were watched from aboard, and we were invited to pull up to larboard, where a short explanation as to our wants led to the acquisition of quite a variety of deep-sea life, including several species of fishes not often seen on land, crabs, shelled and shell-less molluscs, worms, star-fishes, and various lowly organised beings, many alive and in good condition, together with several good food fishes thrown in by way of sympathy. There is no doubt that a naturalist can obtain much more deep-sea life with the aid of a friendly trawler than by any amount of ‘fishing’ with ordinary tackle from a boat; and this without the necessity of going to sea at all, if he will only take the opportunity of examining the nets as the boats are stranded on their return.

But now to return to our angling:—We have to provide a light rod, about ten feet long, with a winch, and a line of twisted silk or other thin but strong material; also a light hand line, and a supply of gut, leads, shot, and hooks, together with one or two small floats, and a few bait boxes.

We do not, as a rule, recommend the amateur angler to use both rod and hand line at the same time, for the attempt to do this leads to the neglect of both. In the end it is not likely to lead to any gain, so many fish being lost through the inability to strike at the moment a bite is given, and so much time having to be devoted to the baiting of hooks rather than to the direct management of the lines. In most cases the rod is much more convenient than the hand line. The young collector will meet with the greatest variety of species in rocky and weedy places, where abundant shelter exists for those fishes that prefer to keep well under cover, and any attempt with a hand line in such spots will certainly lead to frequent loss of hooks, and often of lead, line, and temper. Such a line must be reserved for fishing on sandy bottoms, while the ten-foot rod recommended will enable the angler to do good work in the rockiest parts without much danger of fouling; and, in fact, to fish anywhere along the coast.

The arrangement of hooks and lead must necessarily depend on the character of the place to be worked, but in all cases we strongly recommend no such multiplicity of hooks as is made use of by fishermen and others who fish for food. In their case the use of so many hooks often pays them well; but, as we have previously hinted, the naturalist does not desire quantity of fish so much as variety of species. Further, there is no necessity to make his work heavy and arduous. His desire is not to spend an undue proportion of his time in baiting hooks, but to have his line so under control that he is ready to strike at any moment, and to be able to alter the conditions of his work as often as his ideas or the conditions change.

In rugged and weedy places the hooks must be kept free from rocks and weeds. This may be done by letting down the rod line with a lead at the bottom, and one or two hooks fastened to gut at such a level as to keep quite clear of weeds. A much better arrangement, and one which we ourselves almost invariably employ, consists of a light lead, as a rule not exceeding an ounce in weight, fastened at the end of the line, and below it a few feet of gut terminating in a single hook. With such tackle it is of course necessary to determine previously the depth of the water, in order to adjust the line to such a length that the hook keeps clear of rocks and weeds, and a float may be used if desired.

Fig. 24.—Round Bend Hook with Flattened End

We do not recommend a float for the general work of the marine collector, for it is a decided advantage to be prepared to bring the bait to any level from bottom to surface, especially when the water is so clear that the fish may be seen swimming, in which case one is often impressed with the desire to capture a specimen in order to establish its identity, and for such work as this a float is superfluous. If, however, a float is used, it should be a sliding one, so that it may be adapted to the rising and falling of the tide.