CARP AND TENCH. 2/7 



His practice may be formularized thus : — 



1. The summer months are the only time of the 



year for Carp-fishing, and the best period of the 

 day is between sunrise and about seven o'clock, 

 after which time they usually leave off biting. 



2. The best bait is a brandling. 



3. He has, however, found the following paste a by no 



means bad substitute : soft Herring roe, worked 

 up with bread-crumbs and wool. 



4. He uses the ordinary bottom-fishing tackle with a 



light float, and fishes about half a foot off the 

 bottom. 



My own experience concurs almost entirely with that 

 of Professor Owen, except as regards paste and bait, 

 with which I never had any sport. I used formerly to 

 use a plain bread-crumb paste, but later experience has 

 convinced me that it was a mistake, and that a well- 

 scoured brandling is the best bait both for Carp and 

 Tench all the year round. 



In open waters, however, I employ it in a somewhat 

 different way to that adopted by Professor Owen, placing 

 the shot at about two feet from, the bait and allowing the 

 latter to rest, ixjith about six inches of the line, on the 

 bottom. The hook for this purpose should be a No. 7, 

 and the collar of fine round picked gut, stained as re- 

 commended at p. 30. The float should be a light 

 porcupine quill, and it will commonly be found expedient 



