THE FEKCH. 891 



holes made in thein ; one end of a lob-worm should be put 

 into each hole, and the clay closed fast upon them, and then 

 thrown into the water a yard or two distant from each other : 

 the worms being alive in the balls, by the moving and twist- 

 ing about, tempt the fish to feed upon them ; but the 

 angler's worms being of a superior kind, they will, on sight 

 of them, leave those in the clay, and seize with eagerness 

 the others. Not perch only but many sorts of fish are col- 

 lected by the ground-bait, so that at times the gentle and 

 other baits may be tried. 



In a bad day, when the perch will not be brought on feed, 

 take off" the float, and extend the line as long as the rod will 

 throw the bait out, without injuring it ; cast it in all direc- 

 tions, sometimes across, at others up or down the water, 

 drawing the bait towards you, and playing it with a similar 

 motion as in spinning minnow. Do not try long on one spot, 

 when a fish bites, slacken the line and give time for striking : 

 this often succeeds in bad weather, when all other methods 

 fail ; but more especially in a rough southerly or westerly 

 wind. 



If the angler roves with a minnow, let it be alive, and the 

 hook stuck in under the back fin, or through the upper lip ; 

 let the minnow swim in mid-water, or rather lower ; use a 

 cork float of a size that he cannot sink it under water, with 

 a few shot, about nine inches from the hook, to keep him 

 down, or when tired he will rise to the surface. When using 

 the frog, put the hook through the skin of its back, and it 

 will swim easier than if the hook were thrust through the 

 skin of its hind legs. Eecollect to keep this bait as far 

 from the shore as possible, for he will constantly be making 

 to it ; always give line enough at a bite, to let the perch 

 gorge. May or June are the best seasons for perch-fishing, 

 as they are then prowling about in search of the young fry of 



