BAITS. 889 



owv iiij^ht ; tl;'ii rest [)!irt of yniir rod on tlu' forked stick, iiud 

 the bottom oi' it on the i^ronnd. 



" Vou mnst now ictiri' :i few paces, keeping entirely ont of 

 sight, bnt still near enough , to observe your lloat ; when you 

 perceive a bite, give a little time ; indeed, it is better to wait 

 till you see the float begin to move oil", Ijctbre you striki", which 

 you may tlien do smai'tly ; and, as the Carp is a leather-mouthed 

 fish, il' you n\:inage him well, there is no fear of losing him, 

 unless the pond is very weedy. He careful to have your line 

 free, that, if a large tish, he may run out sonu- of your line 

 before you attempt to turn him ; as he is a \eiv strong fish, 

 and your tackle rather light, you must give him careful play 

 before you laiid him. 



"The extreme shyness of the large Carp make all this some- 

 what tedious process necessary to insure success ; but 1 can 

 safely assert, that I scarcely ever took this trouble in vain. 

 A arious baits are recommended for Carp, — such as green peas 

 parboiled, pastes of all descriptions, gentles, caterpillars, &c. ; 

 but I have found the red worm the best, and next to this, the 

 gentle, and plain bread-paste. Those who {)rcfer a sweet paste 

 may di[) the bread in honey. I'asti- and gentle will answer 

 better in autumn than spring. April ami May are, in my opi- 

 nion, the best months for Carp fishing; and very early in the 

 nioniing, or late in the evening, is the hot time ft)r pursuing 

 your sport." 



The above mode of baiting bottom-grounds, and of fishing 

 with the worm, in all its particulars, may be pursued with per- 

 fect success in all ponds and slow-running streams, for all the 

 many species of the Carp family, which are, for the most part. 



