Gudgeon and Roach. 



more likely to get exactly what 

 he requires by graduating in a 

 good school. 



A rod, like a gun, must fit the 

 user. To fail in this is to fall 

 short in an essential particular. 

 In coarse fishing this may not 

 seem of much account, but in 

 trout and salmon angling it is of 

 the first importance. 



I may have occasion to suggest 

 some modifications in the action 

 of rods under the head of game- 

 fishing. Here again one speaks 

 from his own point of view, and 

 must suggest rather than dog- 

 matize. 



THE GUDGEON (Genus Gobio.) 



The gudgeon is a small dark 

 brown fish with spots on the 

 sides and tail. It congregates in 

 large shoals. It is a shapely fish, 

 bearded like the barbel, and 

 found in most of our rivers. It 

 takes paste and gentles, but a 

 small red worm is the favourite 

 bait. An ordinary light roach 

 rod, which is described under the 

 roach section, is suitable for their 

 capture. The finest gut must be 

 used, varying in length according 

 to the depth of the water. The 

 gut must be shotted, so as to float 

 down the stream perpendicularly. 

 The strength of the swim will 

 determine the number of pellets 

 required ; that nearest to the hook, 

 and about 8 inches from it, must 

 be very small, the rest graduated 

 in size, always bearing in mind 

 the fewer the better, as long as 

 the float sinks properly. A No. 5 

 or 6 hook is the proper size for 

 worms. The line should be of 

 the finest quality, with a very 

 light float of the A pattern shown 

 in Plate II. Fix the float at a depth 

 that carries the bait about 3 inches 

 from the bottom of the swim. 



Gudgeon frequent a gravelly 

 bottom, which supplies the food 

 on which they feed, and as perch 



like a similar swim, and may take 

 a fancy to the succulent worm in- 

 tended for Master Gobio, it is 

 just as well to be prepared for him. 

 With a fixed line a good perch 

 would make short work of fine 

 tackle. It is advisable, therefore, 

 to have a running line on a light 

 reel. One of the best places to 

 find gudgeon is on a recently 

 baited barbel swim. After the 

 ground bait is exhausted there 

 remain odds-and-ends of worms, 

 gentles, and such-like, too minute 

 for the greedy barbel, but suffi- 

 cient to reward the industry of 

 gobio, who does not object to 

 grubbing for dainty bits. It is 

 quite possible that an odd barbel, 

 with pleasant recollections of a 

 good time, may return to look 

 round and see what is going on, 

 and on discovering a wriggling 

 worm or pair of gentles drifting 

 towards him, pounces upon it, to 

 be immediately hooked. With a 

 free running line, however fine 

 the tackle, there would be some 

 chance, by skilful management, 

 to bring him to the net a feat 

 impossible with fixed tackle. In 

 fishing a swim from a moored 

 punt a running line is indispen- 

 sable, as the bait drifts over a 

 larger stretch of water. The 

 strength of the current carries the 

 line forward, aided by gently un- 

 winding the winch with the fingers 

 of the left hand. 



Gudgeon swarm towards muddy 

 water and are always taken in 

 greatest number where the river 

 is slightly discoloured during or 

 after a spate. In the absence of 

 this condition the angler artifici- 

 ally supplies it. For this purpose 

 what is known as a gudgeon rake 

 has be'come a part of the outfit. 

 It is a long-handled implement 

 which is drawn over the gravel in 

 the bed of the river in front of or 

 behind the punt. This rake stirs 

 up the mud, and with it the food 



