114 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN CANAL ANGLING. 



garbage, loaches, small gudgeons, or miUer's thumbs, 

 or with small roaches, the hook being laid in their 

 mouths. 



CANAL ANGLING. 



I HAVE already mentioned, that under this head I 

 mean to comprehend all slow-running and weedy 

 waters, which, though not canals, have a similar cha- 

 racter, such as the New River, and the Lea in Essex, 

 so famous as an angling station since, and, I believe, 

 before, the time of Izaak Walton. The ditches in fen 

 countries may also be justly included. In waters like 

 these we find none of the best sorts of fish, which 

 inhabit swift-running streams, such as the trout, sal- 

 mon, and grayling, though eels and several of the other 

 species which have been already mentioned are found 

 both in slow-running rivers and canals. The fish which 

 I shall now notice are pike and perch. 



ANGLING FOR PIKE 



Next to trout and salmon, the pike' or jack affords 

 the best sport to the angler ; for though it will seldom 

 rise at a fly (most authors erroneously say " never"), 

 it will bite greedily and voraciously at almost every bait 

 which is offered to it, and therefore good sport may 

 often be obtained by ground-fishing or trolling for 

 pike. 



(1) 111 Latin, Esox luciue. 



