35^ THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



Careful Anglers provide themselves with a piece of 

 cork or board, (which some cover with a piece of car- 

 pet,) to sit on while angling, knowing the danger of 

 sitting on the bare gromul, however dry it may seem, as, 

 from so doing, many have experienced violent cholics, 

 inflammations in the bowels, &c. The cork or board 

 provided for a seat, is usually about eighteen inches 

 long, and twelve broad, which may be kept and carried 

 in a basket, with other articles used by Anglers. 



When angling in rapid heavy water, it is necessary 

 to have a float on the line, that will require many shot 

 to sink it ; cork-floats are generally preferred in this 

 case, the best being those which have the cork fixed 

 on a very strong quill of a Goose, Swan, or Porcupine, 

 about the middle thereof j this piece of cork should 

 be of a long oval shape, about an inch long, and the 

 same in circumference in the middle : this shape is 

 far preferable to the old-shaped cork-floats, made in 

 the form of a Windsor pear, which make a great re- 

 sistance in passing through ^the water, consequently, 

 a slight bite is not easily seen or struck. If a tip- 

 capped float is used in such water, it must be very 

 strong made, and the top thicker and stouter than the 

 bottom, or it will not swim steady, though in mode- 

 rate streams or still water j always prefer the tip- 

 capped float, with both ends equally small, for no 

 other shape shews a slight bite so readily. — Note. 

 Pass the line two or three times around the float, be- 

 ginning at the bottom, before you put the top cap on, 

 which strengthens and keeps the float straight, and. 



