6 ANGLING FOE COARSE FISH. 



water being clear and the light strong, fish can perceive the 

 angler at some considerable distance, and that, therefore, the 

 farther the angler can be from the fish he seeks to catch, 

 the better. The shallower the water, the more distant should 

 be the angler from the fish. By a very scientific method of 

 fishing (to be subsequently described), practised by the anglers 

 of Nottingham, this distant method of fishing is easily 

 managed. The angler should be particularly careful to move 

 about as little as possible if he thinks the fish can see him. 

 I have noticed that certain fish care little for a man in 

 full view of them who stands absolutely still, but the least 

 movement on his part, and they are off. Above all things, 

 the angler should never take up his position with the sun 

 at his back, for a shadow on the water is fatal to success. 



I need hardly say that the tackle should always be as 

 fine as circumstances will allow, coarse, strong tackle only 

 being advisable when, owing to weeds, old piles, stones, and 

 such like, fish have to be held very hard to keep them from 

 hanging themselves up. Some varieties of fish, particularly 

 chub, when they have not seen the angler, and have no 

 suspicion of his presence, will often take a bait presented 

 to them on very coarse tackle; but once their suspicions are 

 aroused, which, unfortunately, is usually the case, they either 

 refuse to feed at all, or will only take a bait if the line is 

 of the finest. Personally, I always use tackle as fine as I 

 can get it consistent with strength, but in rivers which are 

 little fished, and are not particularly bright, such extreme 

 fineness is not really necessary. 



In the summer, a very great variety of baits are taken by 

 the fish; but as baits which are good in one water sometimes 

 altogether fail elsewhere, it is as well to obtain local informa- 

 tion on the subject where it is available. At the same time, 

 where the sport with what I may term local baits is not forth- 

 coming, I never hesitate to try baits new to the place, and 

 by that means sometimes make a good basket of fish. In 

 winter the most common, and generally the best, bait is a 

 worm. 



We come now to winter fishing. The chief changes in the 



