FISHES AND FISHING. 261 



from a 'punt ; three persons can very conveniently 

 occupy one, with the fisherman. It is not uncommon 

 to see ladies and gentlemen enjoying this sport ; the 

 anglers sit in chairs, the fisherman plumbs the depth, 

 arranges the floats, baits the hooks, rakes the grave], 

 takes off, and puts the fish into the well of the punt, 

 and if sport become dull in one spot, moves the boat 

 to another : it is not uncommon to see the anglers 

 with gloves on. Most persons cause refreshments to 

 be conveyed on board, and it is a very pleasant way 

 of passing a summer's morning. The hours of angling 

 are generally from ten or eleven till four or five ; and 

 the take with three rods varies, according to the 

 judgment displayed by the boatman, the goodness of 

 the tackle, and the degree of skill of the anglers, and 

 will be from eight to twenty dozen of fish, which the 

 fisherman takes out of the well, counts, and conveys 

 to your inn or lodgings. The season is from the first 

 of June till the twenty-eighth of February, the same 

 as the season for roach and dace in the Thames, but is 

 different in the Lea. 



In the Thames small short red worms with a yellow 

 tail are the best bait ; the hook should be tied on very 

 fine gut, because perch sometimes visit the spot to 

 pick up a young gudgeon, and will in most instances 

 take your worm, and would probably break away if 

 hair were used. It is also very necessary to have 



