194 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



the shallows, in the heat of summer ; but in autumn, 

 when the weeds begin to grow sour and rot, and the 

 weather colder, then they gather together, and get into 

 the deep parts of the water, and are to be fished for there, 

 with your hook always touching the ground, if you fish 

 for him with a float, or with a cork ; but many will fish 

 for the gudgeon by hand, with a running-line upon the 

 ground, without a cork, as a trout is fished for ; and it 

 is an excellent way, if you have a gentle rod and as gentle 

 a hand.* 



There is also another fish called a Pope, and by some 



RUFFE 



a Ruffe, a fish that is not known to be in some rivers : 

 he is much like the perch for his shape, and taken to 

 be better than the perch, but will not grow to be bigger 



* In fishing for gudgeon, have a rake, and every quarter of an 

 hour rake the bottom of the river, and the fish will flock thither 

 in shoals. H. 



[This note of Sir J. Hawkins is imperfect and obscure. In fishing 

 for gudgeon from a punt, it will not be necessary to rake the bottom 

 of the river so long as you have bites. When they cease, the gravel 

 must be raked up ; in doing which, the water is muddied, and worms 

 and larvae very likely are stirred up. The gudgeon by instinct swim 

 towards the spot, and as the water clears, take the angler's bait 

 dropped thereon. As soon as nibbling ceases again, the punt is to 

 be removed up or down stream a little, and the rake must once more 

 be used. The process must be repeated, not " every quarter of an 

 hour," but every time your bait ceases to be attacked. The cessation 

 is caused by your having caught all the gudgeons on the spot, or by 

 there not having been any there at all. Continual raking and con- 

 tinual change of ground are requisite to secure successful gudgeon- 

 angling a sort of pis-aller piscatorial pastime. E.J 



