Moroccans are accomplished fishermen. They bait the hook and wait for the fish to come within range. At that point, perhaps they wiggle the bait a little to make it seem alive. Beyond that, it is a matter of knowing which bait to use for which fish, when to wait and when to strike, how long a line to use and how to draw it in. In all these skills Moroccans are expert. Their patience, seeming passivity and careful sizing up of the prey are all signs of accomplished fishermen. In the port of Algeciras, while waiting for the ferry to leave for Tangier, I saw a school of small, dark fish like mackerel. They were turning round and round in the water by the pier. What a perfect setup for a fisherman, I thought, and sure enough one of the Moroccan crew members lost no time in baiting a hook with a piece of bread. He dropped it into the water at the end of a string, holding it in front of their noses, jiggling it slightly so it would catch the light. Within seconds a fish bit, the barb caught, and he flipped it expertly onto the pier to the cheers of his friends. What impressed me was his nonchalance, the same studied nonchalance with which the traders of Marrakech or Fez sit outside their boutiques.