182 COKK AND QUILL FLOATS. 



by drawing between the front teeth. I mean the 

 small portion of it that is to be whipped on to the 

 shank of the hook. 



Floats should be of moderate size. Heavy 

 floats may be used in barbel fishing, but are not 

 absolutely necessary, except when sinking and 

 roving with a live bait for pike. In general I 

 prefer cork floats to quill floats. The latter I 

 never use except for roach and carp fishing. A 

 neat, small-sized cork float is handy, sits well in 

 the water, and is sufficiently light to give you 

 instantaneous information of a bite. For my 

 own part, I frequently fish without a float at all, 

 with a lightly leaded line, and seldom miss 

 striking at a bite. The best bottom-fishers fish 

 for trout, grayling, perch, dace, and even for 

 roach, with a tripping bait without a float. 

 They are quick and sensitive enough to see and 

 feel a bite without the eaves-dropping of a float. 

 A float, however, is a safe appendage, and to be 

 surely relied upon. Notwithstanding, I advise 

 the learner to angle frequently without one, and 

 to depend on the sharpness of his eye and the 

 sensitiveness of his hand. If he do, he will 

 be always able to angle with a very light float 

 an immense advantage and to distinguish the 

 slightest fish-pull upon it. Never allow your 

 float to drag in the water. It should sit per- 

 pendicularly in it, and the line should rise straight 



