THE THAMES ANGLER. 27 



are termed fence months, it is illegal to angle at the bottom, 

 though, as I have said before, trout fishing commences earlier. 



Before I proceed to give instructions for fishing with the 

 minnow and bleak, I may as well quote Izaak Walton's method, 

 which he adopted more than 200 years ago : — 



" And then you are to know that your minnow must be put 

 on your hook, that it must turn round when it is drawn against 

 the stream; and that it may turn nimbly you must put it on a 

 big-sized hook, as I shall now direct you, which is thus : put 

 your hook in at the mouth, and out at the gill ; then, having 

 drawn your hook two or three inches beyond a-through his gill, 

 put it again into his mouth, and the point and beard out at the 

 tail; and then tie the hook and his tail about very neatly, with 

 a white thread, which will make it the apter to turn quick in 

 the water; that done, pull back that part of your line which 

 was slack when you did put your hook into the minnow the 

 second time. I say pull that part of your line back, so that it 

 shall fasten the head, so that the body of the minnow shall be 

 almost straight on your hook; this done, try how it will turn 

 by drawing it across the water, or against the stream; and if it 

 do not turn nimbly, then turn the tail a little to the right or left 

 hand, and try again till it turn quic :. if not, you arc in 



danger to catch nothing ; for know that it is impossible that it 

 should turn too quick." 



I have described the rod and running line already. The 

 bleak, gudgeon, or .-mall dace, are the baits in most general use 

 on the Thames, the minnow l"ing more adapted to smaller 

 streams. I shall content myself with giving my readers a 

 description of the Tackle generally employed on the Tham 

 and which may be purchased at any of the tackle shop-, for about 

 a shilling or eighteen penc 



The hooks should be .Vs. !) or 10, tied on a piece of gut about 

 twelve inches Long, with a loop at the end. The form i 

 follows: — Three hooka together at the end. then on.- tied on the 

 reverse way, then three the same way ae the first, and then one 

 moveable on two .-mall hair loops, in order to suit the size of the 

 bait; the hooks, which are placed at equal distances from each 

 other, should, when the moveable hook is brought as near the 

 others as possible, be about the length of a small gudgeon or 

 bleak. The mode of putting on the bait is this:- -Insert one of 

 the end hooks in the bait's tail, which must be slightly bent, and 



