BAIT FOR GUDGEON. 153 



months. In favourable water, they will keep the angler 

 well employed, and he may fill a basket in a very short 

 time. 



The rod used in gudgeon-fishing, should be an extre- 

 mely light one, made of cane, without much spring in it. 

 The line should be all of gut or at any rate not more 

 than three hairs thick, if of horse hair with a very 

 small hook, say No. 13. A float is employed, by some 

 anglers, and when the float dips, a gentle turn of the 

 wrist, or some such minute absurdity is seriously recom- 

 mended, in order to fix the hook in the gudgeon's mouth. 

 For our own part, we never use a float at all in this fish- 

 ing; and we have had pretty good success too in our time. 

 Our mode is, to fix a small bullet to the end of the line, 

 fasten one hook below the lead, so as to let it drag on the 

 bottom, and suspend two or three others at short intervals 

 above it. The bullet is dropped into a likely part of the 

 stream, and the hooks, baited with a very very small red 

 worm or gentle, or grub (the worm is the best) are 

 suffered to lie on the bottom or work about in the running 

 water. When the gudgeon takes the bait, he will make 

 little short jerks which are easily perceptible, if the line 

 be held tight, and the angler must be careful not to be 

 too quick for him. In this manner, we have caught two 

 or three together very frequently. 



As a general rule, let the gudgeon alone; and like 

 most other fish, he will hook himself a vast deal better 

 than you can do it for him, by any turn of the wrist, or 

 even of the whole body. Nine times out of ten, the art 

 of " striking " fish, as it is called, is all sheer nonsense 

 a mere affectation of delicate skill, which no angler ever 

 did, or ever will possess; and which is in no case at all 

 necessary. 



