266 



THE YOUNG ANGLER, 



take them with the hook is early in spring, before the water -weeds 

 begin to shoot, and also in October, after the weeds have begun to 

 rot, for he is in fine season at this period firm and fleshy, and as 

 voracious as a starved wolf. As for baits, we hardly know what 

 it will not take, as all are fish that come to its net. The baits 

 generally used in fishing for it are roach, dace, gudgeon, minnows, 

 chub, bleakj young frogs, lob-worms, fish or flies, real or artificial, 

 and the gfjper size of a bait is when it weighs from one to four 

 ounces. " There are several methods of trolling for this fish, namely, 

 H ,%',JC> ( f iA _ A .-^ with the gorge hook, No. 1 



in the annexed illustration, 

 which is loaded on the shank 

 with lead ; with the snap 

 hook, either spring or plain, 

 composed of three liooks 

 fastened together, Nos. 2, 3 ; 

 with the bead hook, formed 

 of two single hooks, tied back 

 to back, with a little drop or 

 bead of lead affixed to a link 

 or two of chain depending 

 from the lower part of it, 

 No. 4 ; and with the live-bait hooks, which may be either single or 

 double, Nos. 5 and 6. In baiting these various hooks, the following 

 directions must be carefully attended to : 



The GOKGE-HOOK. Hook the 

 curved end of a baiting-needle, 

 No. 7, to the loop of the gimp 

 on which the hook is fastened, 

 pass the needle through the mouth of the bait, and bring it out at 

 the tail ; the lead on the hook will thus be hidden in its belly, and 

 the barbs or shanks inside its mouth ; and in order to keep the bait 

 steady on the hook, it is a good plan to tie its tail to the gimp with 

 some white thread. 



The SNAP-HOOK is baited by thrust- 

 ing the point of the upper or small 

 hook under the skin of the bait, on 

 the side, and bringing it up to the 

 back fin. Another snap-hook is baited 

 by passing the loop of the gimp inside 

 the gill of the bait, and bringing 

 it out at the mouth ; the lead 

 thus lies in its throat, the first 

 hook outside its gill, and the 

 others in its side, the barbs being just beneath the skin ; the bait's 

 mouth should next be sewn up, so as to keep the lead and hooks in 



their proper places. 



On a BEAD-HOOK, a gudgeon or 

 barbel is the best bait ; the little 

 drop or bead of lead should be put 



