70 ANGLING FOR COARSE FISH. 



ally applied to the reel. This cast must he carefully practised 

 before the angler goes a-fishing, unless he wishes to spoil his 

 own sport, and that of any friend he mkj have with him. An 

 easier method is to pull a few yards of line (which must be 

 dressed) off the reel, on to the floor of the punt, and swing out 

 the lead, the right hand holding the rod, and the line running 

 through the left hand. This also requires practice, but is 

 not difficult. Great accuracy in casting should be aimed at, 

 and more accurate casts are made with the latter than with 

 the former method (see also pages 44-46). 



When a cast has been made, the paternoster should be left a 

 few minutes, then drawn gently in a few yards, then left 

 again, a,nd so on, until it is brought close to the punt. On some 

 days the fish feed eagerly, on others they have to be waited 

 for, and bite cautiously. Paternostering is a very pretty and 

 pleasing branch of bottom fishing, and I recommend it to the 

 careful attention of beginners. The secrets of success are to 

 cast with accuracy, to hold the rod steady, to lower the point 

 directly a bite is felt, and of course to fish as fine as possible. 

 If a small gudgeon is the bait, the perch should be given 

 much longer time than with a minnow. Some anglers put a 

 worm on one hook, and live-bait on the other, or even go in 

 for a gudgeon on a hook mounted on gimp (with the view of its 

 taking a jack), a minnow, and a worm — a nice choice for the 

 fish, but such an unusual arrangement to see suspended in 

 the water that I think it must make them suspicious. The one 

 thing is apt to spoil the other. 



Angling with Float-tackle for Perch.— This is very 

 simple. The line and gut should be fine, the float a good-sized 

 quill if the bait is a gudgeon, a smaller one for a minnow, 

 the hook of size and kind according to the bait used (see remarks 

 on page 68), and the shot placed not less than 1ft. above the 

 hook. Nottingham running-tackle is by far the best for this 

 style of fishing, as it is a great advantage for the angler to be 

 able to be some distance from the float. The depth should, 

 when possible, be plumbed, and the float placed so that the 

 bait is about 6in. or Sin. from the bottom — less in coloured water. 



In thick water, when the tail of a lobworm is used, the best 



