TWO DATS' CARP-FISHING. 105 



metal reel will sometimes weigh down tlie butt of the rod, and 

 render the |^ -shaped peg unnecessary), throw in a few worms 

 over the worm-bait, and a few fragments (not lumps) of bread 

 ground-bait, freshly made that morning, around the hook baited 

 with paste, and retire a few yards from the bank, to sit on our 

 camp-stool and await developments. My friend's float moves 

 first ; carp bite slowly, and it is not until he sees his float sailing 

 away that he takes up his rod and strikes. Then I get a fish, 

 and by carefully playing all we hook, and by not over-feeding, 

 we keep on catching large carp at intervals of half an hour until 

 8 o'clock. Then a breeze springs up which blows our floats 

 about, and causes the baits to drag. We are then obliged to 

 put some shot on our lines (more or less according to the force 

 of the wind) 12in. from the hook, so that they just rest on the 

 bottom. About 9 o'clock the fish leave off biting, and we catch 

 nothing more until the evening, and not much then. Of course, 

 when the fish left off biting at one swim we tried another. 



There is little more to be added on the subject of float-fish- 

 ing for carp ; minute attention to detail is all-important. The 

 tackle should be as fine as can safely be used. If weeds are 

 abundant, and the fish run large, it should be stronger than if 

 the fish are small and the bottom clear. A UNfottinghara line, 

 rather stouter than that used for chub, is first-rate for carp 

 fishing. Twisted lines are stronger than those which are plaited. 

 Float-tackle can be got out some distance from the bank by 

 following the directions given on page 45,* After the morning 

 part of the float-fishing was over, we put some more potatoes 

 (but a less quantity than before) into the holes where we intended 

 to leger. The following day we try 



Legering for Carp, hoping to catch some of the fathers 

 of the flock. My friend still uses his Nottingham line, 

 casting his leger from the reel; but I prefer a fine, dressed 

 silk line, and cast the leger Thames fashion, coils of line lying 

 on the grass at my feet ; and by this means I certainly cast with 



* If the float-tackle is too light for long or accurate casting, a small piece of rather 

 stiff ground-bait can be squeezed on round the shot. AVhen paste-fishing, it is 

 not altogether a bad plan to squeeze some soft ground-bait round the paste. The 

 hook-bait then appears to the fish to be a portion of— in fact, the very kernel of— 

 the ground-bait. 



