95 



now and then a fish may approach very cautiously, and 

 take the bait very tenderly into his mouth, yet, on the 

 long run, it will be found that the rod is made to vibrate 

 forcibly by the impetuosity of the seizure, which is most 

 usually made as the bait is on the rise. In many instances, 

 however, when a very large fish takes the bait, the water 

 is considerably agitated by his violence ; so much so, as 

 to be an index to the angler even at the distance of many 

 feet of line then under water. 



But, as the hand alone should guide regarding a bite, the 

 angler must be extremely on his guard ; for he will occa- 

 sionally, especially if a barbel be in question, feel his 

 line tremble, or perhaps tug a little (very tenderly), when 

 the fish is sucking at the bait. The truth is, that we 

 often hear the terms nibble and bite grossly misapplied : 

 for what is to all appearance a slight niible, is the mode 

 in which some kinds of fishes, especially the carp (and 

 at some seasons the roach}, lite $ and what, on many 

 occasions, we should consider a bite, proves to be only 

 a nibble. 



Thus, if -we are intent on a float sustaining a live bait, 

 and we should see it occasionally dip a little, that is^ 

 something more than the bait could carry it down, and 

 that die float return to the surface, such an indication, 

 on any other occasion, would warrant our striking but 

 here it would be wrong, because the natural conclusion 

 should be, that it were a small perch, &c. which, being 

 incapable of swallowing such a bait, was endeavouring 

 to get it into a favourable position, or to draw it away to 

 its haunt, there to be gulped at leisure. 



In such a conclusion we seldom err j but if we do, still 

 the case remains the same, that is, we ou^ht not to 



strike : 



