The Gentle Art of Angling. 



beloved of gudgeon, amongst 

 which the hooked bait drifts, and 

 the feeding that was going off is 

 renewed. Several dozens of fish 

 may be taken by this device. 

 Gudgeon make excellent live bait 

 for pike and large perch, and are a 

 delicately flavoured comestible for 

 the table. 



There is no special art in this 

 branch of angling. With worms 

 and gentles a little time may be 

 given before a gentle strike is 

 made. With paste bait the 

 moment the float is drawn under 

 the strike should follow. The 

 line must be kept taut, as striking 

 is impossible with a slack line. 



ROACH (Leuciscns rutilus). 



A higher stage in fishing is 

 reached when roach become the 

 object of the angler's quest. A 

 good deal has to be learned before 

 one is equal to the wiles of this 

 shy and dainty feeder. He is a 

 handsome fellow, with silvery 

 scales, red ventral and anal fins ; 

 thick set, deepening rather than 

 lengthening in reaching mature 

 size. He rarely exceeds 2 Ib. in 

 weight, and few have been taken 

 that size. His golden rimmed 

 eyes are ever alert, and one must 

 go to work with the stealth of a 

 burglar to catch him. Silence on 

 the bank is so necessary that list- 

 soled boots would not be out of 

 place. Any heavy tramping near 

 the river will make him sheer off. 

 One has to study his own shadow 

 and choose the side of the river 

 where it will not project across 

 the stream. The stoppage of a 

 mill tail, the lowering of a sluice, 

 or any undue disturbance, will 

 drive him off the feed. 



Ground baiting is necessary to 

 coax the shoal into a limited 

 space and whet the appetite for 

 feeding. This should be done the 

 evening before, and if the angler 

 is on the bank by daybreak next 



morning his chances of sport will 

 be enhanced. It is fatal to let a 

 day intervene between ground- 

 baiting and fishing a remark 

 that applies to ground baiting 

 generally. It is folly to expect 

 fish to remain after a long interval, 

 and if they do they are not likely 

 to be in the humour to bite after 

 a surfeit of food so generously sup- 

 plied for their consumption. 



The usual ground bait is made 

 of stale bread well soaked, and 

 afterwards mixed with bran. 

 The bread is placed in an earthen- 

 ware vessel and covered over with 

 water, where it remains for a 

 night. It is then squeezed dry, 

 adding the bran, and divided into 

 small portions. Each lump is 

 thoroughly kneaded, and a mix- 

 ture of gentles added, which is 

 one kind of bait that the angler is 

 to use next day. Enough of the 

 ground bait should be made to 

 have a stock of balls to use when 

 fishing "as occasion may require," 

 to keep to dispensing terminology. 



Let it be assumed that the 

 angler is an early riser, and is on 

 the river's bank by daybreak. 

 The first thing to do is to mount 

 a suitable rod. I have already 

 expressed my preference for one 

 to be used with a running line. 

 Hardy Brothers " Guinea " roach 

 rod, varying from 10 feet to 12 feet, 

 is a suitable pattern. This is a 

 useful length for punt fishing. In 

 close quarters, where two or three 

 anglers sit, a very long rod is in 

 the way as well as unnecessary. 

 This rod is made of whole cane 

 in the butt and middle joints, and 

 greenheart in the top. It is stained 

 a dark green colour which is rest- 

 ful to the eyes, and not so scaring 

 to fish as the bright-coloured cane 

 used by some anglers. It is light 

 and quick in action and capable 

 of rapid striking. 



For bank fishing a longer rod 

 may be used to advantage. The 



