i 



48 ANGLING FOB COARSE FISH. 



The stank of the hook is painted white, so that it will not 

 be noticeable should the paste get washed away. This paste is 

 made at the waterside, in a simple fashion, by wetting a portion 

 of the crumb of a stale loaf, or French roll, and then well squeez- 

 ing it in a handkerchief and kneading it. When 

 made, it is best kept in a damp rag, and not 

 exposed to the light, or it turns a drab colour. 

 If made at home, it is as well to pound it in a 

 pestle and mortar. The ground-bait is the 

 bread- and-br an mixture similar to that which 

 I was using. None is thrown in, but as often ^^^ ^ yloq^ 

 as may be necessary a small lump is pressed Baited with 

 round a very small shot on the line, about 

 4in. from the hook, so that when the aifair is let 

 into the water the hook-bait is certain to lie close to the 

 ground-bait — no small advantage.* Every few minutes my 

 friend throws in a small pellet of paste well above his 

 float, so that it may sink as near his bait as he can judge. 

 His method is eminently adapted to catch big fish. He 

 can keep veiy quiet, takes the line out of the water only 

 when he has a bite or a fish, fishes close to his ground-bait, 

 and almost immediately above his hook, and there is no line 

 and row of shots as there is in the float tackle I have been 

 using. Truly an admirable method! After watching my 

 friend land a couple of " whoppers," we have lunch together, and 

 I return to my old swim, from which the roach had been 

 frightened by the jack. The sun now comes out strongly, 

 and the fish soon cease feeding, so I again join my friend, 

 and we stroll up the river until we come to a weir, on the 

 sb allows below which are two anglers, both of whom are catching 

 roach. One is fly-fishing with a good-sized red palmer, and 

 catches not only roach (which in a few rivers will take a fly),t 

 but also chub and dace. The other we find is using 



Silk Weed {Conferva rivularis), crow silk, or flannel weed, 



* Some anglers who use this tackle omit the ground-bait on the line, and 

 place a fragment of cork a couple of inches above the hook. This keeps the 

 bait off the bottom, which is occasionally an advantage. 



t See account of " Fly-fishing for Rudd," Chapter XII. The method is similar. 



