SINKING AND ROVING. 137 



activity and vigour to be called into play as is 

 conducive to hardy health. The fish most 

 commonly killed by any sort of trolling in our 

 rivers are pike, trout and perch the best fish 

 they produce ; and that is a sufficiently strong 

 recommendation of it. I divide trolling into 

 three parts, viz., sinking and roving, trolling with 

 gorge and snap-hooks, and lastly spinning. 



SINKING AND ROVING is easily practised, and, 

 at times, with capital success. It is done with a 

 live bait : a minnow or a loach for the common 

 trout and perch ; bleak, gudgeon, dace, or roach 

 for pike or large trout. Small gudgeons are 

 excellent for moderate-sized Thames trout and 

 perch large gudgeons for the monster trout 

 and pike of that royal stream. The best general 

 bait for all sorts of trolling is the gudgeon. It 

 will be refused sometimes, and the preference 

 give'n to small trout, dace, or roach ; but the caprice 

 will not last, and pike will soon return to their 

 favourite gudgeon repast. 



In practising sinking and roving, I would 

 have a strong long bottom rod, with good winch, 

 and prepared platted-silk trolling-line ; for foot- 

 line, about a yard and a half of the best gut. The 

 link to which the hook is tied should be of fine 

 gimp, if you expect pike as visitors ; but gut, or 

 three-twisted hairs, will do for trout and perch. 

 You must plumb your water, so as to have a 



