I haven't had a touch." "Perhaps not, but the flat-fish suck it off gently sometimes.

Pull up." Bob drew in the wet line hand over hand, till the lead sinker hit the side of the boat; and Bigley proved to be right, both baits were off his hooks, and as they were being rebaited I hauled in my line to find that it was in the same condition.
By the time Bob's lead was at the bottom, my hooks were being covered with mussel, and I threw in again.
As mine reached the sandy ooze, and I held the line in one hand, there was a slight vibration of the lead, but it passed away again, and I fished, to pull up again at the end of a few minutes and find both baits gone.
Bob's were the same, and so we fished on till he declared that it was of no use, that it was the tide washed the bait off, and that there wasn't a fish within a hundred yards.

"But I'm sure there are lots," said Bigley.

"Why, how can you tell ?" cried Bob.

"You can't see two feet down through the water, it's so muddy." "I know by the baits being taken off," replied Bigley decidedly.