THE JOLLY ANGLER. 7 



A, the pier of the bridge ; B, the boat ; C, a staff fastened 

 in the piles to keep it steady, and just the length of the 

 rod from where your float swims; the dotted line D 

 shows the direction your bait should take from the pile 

 E, where you should let your line sink, (as close to the 

 bridge as possible, if the tide runs quick,) otherwise your 

 bait will not reach the bottom till it is at the end of the 

 swim. Having moored your boat as before described*, 

 if near high water, you must have a stiff rod (see Bag- 

 rod,) a long line, and a float that will carry eight or ten 

 large, or more small shot (see Floats.) Towards low 

 water you must change your line and float for a lighter 

 one; the hook for this sort of fishing should be No. 10 

 stout, as you catch many Barbel here. Some use two 

 hooks, one a foot above the other; but I have generally 

 caught as many with one; two are apt to catch one 

 another in sinking; besides, nine out of ten fish caught in 

 this manner are on the bottom hook, a circumstance that 

 will convince you of the necessity of fishing close to the 

 ground. Having your tackle ready, proceed to plumb 

 your depth, without which you might as well fish in a 

 pail ; and mind you try your depth frequently as the tide 

 falls, your success so much depends on your bait just 

 dragging along the ground, which it will do here, the end 

 of the swim being a foot shallower than the middle, 

 where you take your depth; then throw in, (at the top of 

 your swim E, as the tide will wash it down fast enough,) 

 plenty of ground bait, in large balls (see " Ground Bait, 

 Nos. 2 and 3"); bait your hook with two or three of the 

 largest gentles. By these means you may reckon on good 

 sport from June till October, or sometimes later: the 

 dotted lines show where to place your boat, if you fish 

 under the arch towards low water. Leaving the bridge, 

 I will just mention Wandsworth Creek, where there are 

 many Dace with some Roach and Eels, and a few Floun- 

 ders. I have spent many a pleasant day, starting from 

 town about three hours before high water, and rowing to 

 Wandsworth Creek, where I place my boat under some 



* When fishing in the tide, occasionally observe the head of your 

 boat, that it does not hang out of water, in consequence of the tide 

 leaving it. 



