SECRETS OP SUCCESSFUL PATEBNOSTERING. 69 



very slowly over tlie weeds in a boat or punt, and drops his 

 paternoster, baited with minnow, worms, gudgeon, or fresh-water 

 shrimp, in holes among the weeds, or else he fishes, as well as 

 he is able, from the bank. In large rivers, a boat is very neces- 

 sary in summer fishing, when the perch lie as far out in the 

 stream as they can get without being out of the weeds. Still 

 water and a muddy bottom are things to be avoided in summer 

 perch-fishing. Please understand that all the perch do not lie 

 in the weeds, but most of them do. Yery often good sport is 

 obtained, especially in early morning or late evening, when the 

 fish are roaming about after food, by fishing right out in the 

 centre of the stream ; but this is best done with float tackle. 



When the paternoster lead, after being swung (not cast) out, 

 is exactly over the spot you wish to fish, the point of the rod 

 should be lowered, and a little spare line, which you hold ready 

 in your left hand, is let go ; then, before the perch can see how 

 it happens, a fine minnow is wriggling about in front of his nose. 

 Now hold the rod steady, and keep the line taut. In a moment 

 you may feel a slight touch on the back of the first finger of 

 your right hand. Lower the point of the rod at once, so that the 

 perch, which has seized the minnow, may not feel a taut line. 

 A second more, and two jerks come at the line, then strike — not 

 too hard — and play the fish gently, for a hook easily tears out 

 of a perch's mouth. Then go on to another opening in the 

 weeds, and never stop long in one place. To this rule there 

 are a few exceptions. In some waters the perch are very shy, 

 and are only to be caught by a great expenditure of patience. 



In winter, you fish either in or just outside eddies, 

 according to the height of the water. In very mild weather, 

 the fish will even work right out into the stream. If the 

 eddy is a very large one, do not row all over it, but moor at 

 the top of it, and fish every bit of it by casting out the pater- 

 noster. To do this with Nottingham line and reel, place the 

 little finger of the right hand on the rim of the reel, swing 

 out the paternoster in the direction you wish it to go, releasing 

 the reel as the lead flys out, as it should do any distance up to 

 40yds., or even more. When the lead has gone nearly far 

 enough through the air, it is checked by the finger being gradu- 



