whiffet (hwifet)

[ The sneaks, whiffets , and surface rats. Philadelphia Times , Aug. 1, 1888. whiffing iffing (hwif'ing), with n. [Verbal n. inf of whiff 3, v.] 1. Surface-fishing Whiffing, the proce of slowly towing the bait (sculling Field, Dec. 26, 1885. ( Encyc. Dict.) It [the whiting] is often caught by whifing, when it gives good sport. Stand. Nat. Hist., III. 278. or pulling in the known haunts of the fish). 2. A kind of hand-line used for taking mackerel, pollack, and the like.