FLOATS. 



405 



rush or reed ; as far as the upper is concerned a feather or white under- 

 side of a withy leaf. When my other larger and more stalwart floats 

 scared the wary chub in midsummer, I found this float enabled me to 

 do execution. 



Notwithstanding, however, that I thus describe the typical makes of 

 floats, I am free to confess that they are at the best but necessary 

 nuisances. There is no doing without them, I know, but they should 

 always be used as light as possible, especially in mid-water fishing. A 

 piece of lucifer match, a leaf or feather, anything when fishing for timid 

 fish, is better than a gaily painted and ornamental float. Of course, if 

 one is fishing deep water, as in "elide corking," there is a positive 

 beeefit accruing from the use of the float, because one cannot possibly 

 compass so much ground or water by any other means. This is negative 

 praise of it, however. 



