roach-fishee's impedimenta. 35 



to add to the attractiveness of our ground-bait. We also take a 

 glance through Chapter II. of this hook, and make up some float 

 tackle, but leave a good deal to be finally arranged until we 

 reach the water's side, for, having never fished this particular 

 river, we hardly know its character and the tackle we shall 

 want. 



The following morning we are up at daybreak, and find 

 our man, John, busy at work on the ground-bait. The basin- 

 ful of soaked bread he has thoroughly emptied of water, and, 

 after squeezing the crusts, has rubbed them into very small 

 fragments. To the bread he adds the boiled rice, a few hand- 

 fuls of meal, and with some bran works up the mixture into 

 stiff balls. (N.B. — The bread and bran alone make excellent 

 ground-bait ; or bread, bran, and clay ; or even bran and clay.) 

 The dog- cart is now at the door, and into it go our impedimenta, 

 which consist of creel, landing-net and handle, light rod with 

 extra butt (see page 13), our tackle-book, containing on a winder 

 two or three made-up lines (see page 25), some 2yd. lengths 

 of very fine gut and brown horsehair, and a few dozen No. 9 to 

 No. 12 Crystal and Round Bend hooks, some with shanks painted 

 white, others red (see page 20). Two or three light, quill floats, 

 of various sizes, also find a place in our creel ; and we must by 

 no means forget the plummet, the disgorger, our bait-box 

 containing gentles, the worm-bag, a large slice of bread and 

 a crust (both from a stale loaf, or a French roll, which is 

 excellent for making paste), the wheat in a bag, and the 

 ground-bait also in a large bag. We put in a duster, to 

 wipe our hands upon if we catch any fish and have to 

 unhook them oui-selves. We have prepared no less than 

 four kinds of bait, because we do not know the water, nor 

 what baits are likely to take best. One of us has some peculiar 

 paste all to himself, and greatly believes in its killing powers. 

 It is made simply of flour, a little sugar, and vermilion, mixed 

 up with gin into a stiff paste. In some waters it kills well. 



After the sultry night — during which we lay awake for the 

 most part, excited by some talk of mighty fish, which we had 

 listened to after dinner — the drive through the cool air of 

 early morning, between the hedges bediamonded with dewdrops 



£ 2 



