Whiting are at their best from the latter end of August until Christmas, the months of October and November being the two in which they are in the finest condition. Nevertheless they are taken all the year round, and are always welcomed at our tables.
Whiting, like most of their congeners, are gregarious, and I might almost say, sociable fish, as they congregate thickly in groups containing many score; when they bite freely it is not difficult to take a hundred or two in a very short period, for they are voracious fish; but, notwithstanding, they are dainty feeders, and will not look at a stale or indifferent bait. Whiting fishing with a hand-line, from September to January, is an amusing pastime, for then the herrings are in season, and a whiting is sure to be tempted by the silvery and delicate bait. Whiting bite very sharply, and with a peculiar “twitch”; their mouths are furnished with rows of teeth not unlike those of the river jack, and where they abound they may be caught two and two as quickly as they can be pulled up; nay, so eager are they, that if you cut up a dead whiting, and bait your hooks with the pieces, its surviving companions will greedily snap at their late comrade!
There are more sorts than one of whiting. There is the rock whiting, a small silvery fish; the deep-water whiting; the coal whiting, a beautiful dusky silvery grey; and the whiting-pout, or lady-whiting, so called because some suppose it to be the female of the whiting. I have reason to believe, however, that the “pout” (or “pouting”) is a totally distinct variety. Poutings are exceedingly handsome fish, resembling in shape the river roach, with large beautiful eyes and fins. When first taken out of the water they glitter precisely like opals, but this exquisite tint goes off in a few seconds. Their usual weight is about half a pound, but I have taken them of three pounds weight. They are truly beautiful fish, but most difficult to catch, as they bite so exceedingly tenderly that they will twitch half a dozen baits away before they get hooked. I have got amongst a shoal of them, and wasted a hundred “log-worms,” and not caught half-a-dozen fish all the time.
The “Simon Pure,” that is to say, the genuine whiting, comes along shore in immense shoals during the autumn months, the shoal grubbing up and feeding on everything in their way. On a still, foggy day in November, and on a good rocky ground, you may take a boatload of whiting with a herring-bait. Sprats—each sprat cut in halves or quarters—are also splendid baits, as is a log-worm; but worms are scarce after October, and I have found raw shrimps put on the hook—shell and all, as they are caught—a killing bait. The “hook-whiting” are most unquestionably far superior to those caught in “trawl-nets.” They are generally better fed fish, from coming in along the rocks to feed on the prawns, shrimps, and other sea-insects, and they are not bruised or chafed, as is the case with net-whiting. I have seen net-whiting so knocked about as to have the entrails protruding and the skin broken. “Hook-whiting” look like bright florins fresh from the mint, and have a very inviting and attractive appearance.
The whiting is usually from nine to fifteen inches in length, and its average weight from a quarter to three quarters of a pound; sometimes, in the spring or early autumn, little whiting are taken on the hand-line not more than four, or even three, inches in length, and I myself have so taken them. There is a peculiar way of preparing whiting for the breakfast-table called “plumping,” which renders them a most delicious relish to that meal. A number of moderate-sized whitings are cleaned and washed, laid in salt for a few hours (more or less, according to taste), and afterwards hung up in the sun for about two days, not longer. When wanted for use, broil them lightly on a very clear fire, and serve very hot. The whiting is occasionally hung up in what is termed a “herring-hang,” and there smoked with oak saw-dust, after having been previously lightly salted. Thus prepared they are good, but not equal, I think, to the “plumped” ones.
The price of whiting fresh from the sea, to be used as dinner fish, fluctuates extremely. I have known them to fetch 4d. and 6d. apiece, even by the sea-side, whilst at other times they are as cheap as 3d. a score; but this low price holds good only during the great “glut” caught in the herring season. Like all other fish except cod, herring, and mackerel, the whiting is not caught alone—that is, the whiting fishery is not pursued by itself, but the fish are caught promiscuously with many other varieties, such as codling, plaice, turbot, soles, &c., &c.
The middle-sized whiting are the best for the table; the smaller ones bony, and the very large of too great a size to fry. As I have before remarked, the usual size of the whiting caught on our coasts is from half to three quarters of a pound, but some run immensely larger, and I have taken them on my cod-lines of three and four pounds’ weight, and very broad thick fish, looking more like the haddock. A large whiting, smoked and dried, is very good. I will not go so far as to say it quite equals the haddock, but I am sure I could so cure them as to deceive very many of my readers. Whiting-fishing, as I have said, is fine sport, and, as a proof how a real love of piscatory amusement may bring skill with it, I have gone out alone in a small boat, single-handed, times without number, and beaten all the professional fishermen on the coast. I have even remained anchored close to the shore, and caught score after score of these fish, when crowds of boats all around me could take few or none. Let me, however, say that I had the advantage of being taught by a first-rate fisherman, and as good and bold a sailor as there is existing on the south-eastern coast. Often have he and I taken between us more fish than all the other boats out put together. But this is a digression.
In fishing for the whiting the amateur should use a hand-line about twice as stout as very thick twine, and with two hooks (not over large these latter, as the whiting has not a very large mouth). Bait one hook with a worm and the other with a “white” bait, to give the fish a choice, as they are fastidious, and it is curious that on some days