22 ANGLING. 



BAITING THE GROUND. 



Those who live near a river, and especially those whose premises 

 adjoin it. should select an even bottom and a place moderately 

 deep, and regularly feed the fish. Make everything convenient for 

 the sport ; put up a hurdle, if there be no bushes, and tuck ever- 

 green branches between the bars: make it fast in the ground, 

 rather leaning over the water. If there be an eddy, or scarcely 

 any stream, you may hang up a liver or a dead cat on a sloping 

 stick for want of a tree, so that the maggots may drop from it in 

 such a spot that they will get to the bottom about where you fish ; 

 or it is better to provide carrion gentles and worms, and bait the 

 place exactly day after day. If there be a stream, make balls^ of 

 clay, maggots, and worms, bread, greaves, snails, and any living 

 things you can get, only use enough, clay to sink them in other 

 words, make the ground-bait rich : when you are going to fish, put 

 the same quantity of bait, but make it poor, and you are as sure of 

 sport as you wet your line Whoever fishes a pond or river often 

 should prepare a place ; and the object of the hurdle is to place a 

 complete screen between you. and the fish, and it will be the fault 

 of the angler if he is seen at all. Land your fish beyond the hurdle, 

 on the side Avhich is most handy. When you are on your own 

 ground, if there be no holes or deep places, make one at anv cost ; 

 and this is especially necessary in some ponds which are shallow at 

 the edge. When there are many weeds, have them cleared, if 

 possible, altogether. If no other way presents itself, use your 

 drag, but it should be done days before you fish. Make but a hole, 

 or small deep, form a good screen, regularly feed the fish, and with 

 0od clean baits and appropriate tackle you will take some of the 

 best in the water. 



Before closing this account of tackle and baits, we beg to remark 

 that attention to these respective objects is of great importance to 

 the angler, and a very necessary ingredient of his success in the 

 pursuit of all kinds of fish. We like to see care bestowed on this 

 part of piscatory duty. W"e never see a tidy and neat rod fisher, 

 uut the simple and expressive lines of old Doctor Cotton rush into 

 our mind ; written more than two hundred years ago, yet full of 

 freshness and meaning at the present hour. We shall transcribe 

 them for the reader's pleasure and instruction. 



" Away to the brook, 



All your tackle out-look, 

 Here's a day that is worth a day's wisliing. 



See that all things be right, 



Por 'twould be a spite 

 To want tools when a man goes a fishing. 



