BAITING THE HOOK FOR TENCH. 109 



touches the bottom. The fish bite best in summer before 

 9 a.m., and after 7 p.m., and may be taken on a leger long 

 after dark. 



River-fishing for tench can be carried on either with a light 

 leger, with the leger float-tackle described on page 47, or with 

 the tight-corking float-tackle, which is very similar (see Chap. Y.). 

 Yery few shot and small quill floats can be used, as tench- 

 swims are always slow. My Thames experience of tench taught 

 me that it is better to wind the worm round and round the hook, 

 inserting the point at each turn, than to thread the worm on 

 from head to tail. When I threaded the worm, the fish used 

 to take it up, and then, after mouthing it, feel the hook and 

 leave it ; but when I surrounded the hook with a thick lobworm 

 I found the bait was not left, so I suppose the hook was not felt. 

 I think it is as well not to strike until the float sails off. I have 

 tried Stewart worm-tackle for tench, but did not find it answer, 

 though it was excellent for roach, chub, and perch. The late 

 Francis Francis advised the angler, when the tench merely 

 played with the worm, to draw the bait very gently away a few 

 inches to bring the coy fish up to the scratch. I have not tried 

 the plan myself. 



I have written but little concerning tench-fishing, because I 

 wish to avoid repetition, and because by perusing the chapters 

 on carp and roach the reader will learn almost all that it is 

 really necessary for him to know, short of actual experience, 

 on the subject. 



. >! *»- < « 



