Tench, Carp and Rudd. 



blowing only what is needed to 

 keep the bait in its place on the 

 bottom. It must be placed 12 in. 

 from the hook. A light quill 

 float is the best pattern, and placed 

 at a distance, so as to leave the 

 bait a few inches of gut aground. 

 This must be ascertained by 

 plumbing beforehand. The line 

 should be the finest and strongest 

 procurable; 100 yards are not 

 too much, as carp make long runs, 

 and there is no holding them back 

 when they go on the rampage. 



The ground-bait usually used 

 consists of red worms, gentles, 

 paste and greaves. The paste is 

 mixed with honey, for, despite 

 their coarse habits, carp have a 

 sweet tooth. Boiled potatoes 

 mixed with brewers' grains and 

 white bread is a favourite dish 

 bait-sized pieces are better than 

 large balls ; green peas and small 

 peeled potatoes mounted on a 

 triangle hook should follow up a 

 copious potato ground-baiting. 



Late in the evening carp roam 

 all over the water, showing them- 

 selves freely by the edge of the 

 weeds and making a peculiar 

 sucking noise, which can be heard 

 a long way off. The tail and 

 dorsal are visible on such occa- 

 sions above the surface. At times 

 they plunge and rush, leaving 

 great waves in their wake. The 

 spectacle is calculated to move 

 the angler to envy and stimulate 

 his longings to grapple with the 

 hard- playing quarry ; but at such 

 times the carp seems to have no 

 more serious business in hand 

 than an aimless gambol, and the 

 lure lying at the bottom of the 

 pond is not likely to attract his 

 attention. 



RUDD (Leuciscus erythrophthalmus). 



The rudd in appearance is a 

 glorified roach. They are fre- 

 quently mistaken for each other. 

 Close examination shows a marked 

 difference in colouring. Instead 



of the plain dress of the roach, 

 red, orange, silver and gold com- 

 prise that of the rudd. The mouth 

 shows an under projecting lip, the 

 tail and dorsal fin do not cor- 

 respond in size and shape to those 

 of its cousin. 



Roach have not been discovered 

 in the Irish rivers or loughs so 

 far, but rudd are plentiful, and 

 are naturally mistaken for them. 

 Some days large baskets of these 

 fish are caught, as when they 

 begin to feed they do so raven- 

 ously, and jostle each other in 

 their eagerness. 



They can be fished for after the 

 manner of roach, using similar 

 bait and tackle. In this way they 

 are taken on the Norfolk Broads, 

 but the best sport is enjoyed by 

 fly-fishing for them, using a light 

 trout rod and fine cast. One who 

 has experience of this will scarcely 

 care for rudd bottom fishing. Like 

 grayling, they have very tender 

 mouths, and the strike when they 

 take the fly must be very gentle. 

 One knows how grayling are lost 

 again and again by a heavy hand ; 

 rudd need as careful handling. 

 A 3 Ib. specimen is a fine fish, 

 although the average size is about 

 half the weight. A few large- 

 sized fish usually figure in a good 

 basket taken in the Irish loughs. 



Trout flies the usual lake pat- 

 terns are the kind to mount, 

 giving preference to gold-ribbed 

 and mallard wing. The March 

 brown, hare's ear, Flight's fancy 

 will get them. They have a way 

 of advertising their presence by 

 moving about in shoals, and when 

 they follow the fly in this fashion 

 it is rather distracting; one cannot 

 go by the break in the water as 

 indicating a rise, for they are 

 legion. A steady hand must be 

 kept on the rod, and a gentle 

 strike made only when there is a 

 pull. When they are rising well 

 the basket at the close of the day 

 should be a heavy one. 



