62 THE JOLLY ANGLER. 



as will hold together, after well working ; this is the best 

 ground bait for Roach, Dace, Chub, and Barbel, when 

 bottom fishing. If you use this where the stream runs 

 fast, you must put a stone in each ball to sink it. If the 

 water is nearly still, or you are pond fishing, for Rudd, 

 Bream, &c. throw it in in small pieces, and it will sink of 

 itself. Note, always throw your ground bait in at the top of 

 the swim, as the stream will wash it down fast enough ; one 

 advantage of having the bottom of your swim shallower 

 than the top is, that the ground bait stops on the hill, and 

 keeps the fish together. You may mix this bait before 

 you start, but it will not keep above a day. 



No. 3. Carrion gentles; these are used with clay in 

 rivers. Take a ball of clay, work it flat in your hand, then 

 put a handful of these gentles in the middle, and enclose 

 them as you would an apple dumpling ; when thrown in 

 the water the clay softens, and they soon come forth. If 

 you are pond fishing, throw them in loose, a few at a time, 

 if fishing for Bream, Rudd, &c. but if for Carp, first plumb 

 your depth, throw a good quantity in, and leave the place 

 (trying somewhere else for an hour); then come back, 

 and place your line in (baited with two or three of the 

 same) as sly as possible, so as not to disturb the fish, and 

 strike as soon as you see a bite; nearly all the Carp I ever 

 took was in this manner: I have taken Tench by the same 

 means. 



No. 4. A quantity of fresh grains and bullock's blood, 

 thrown in overnight, answers well for Tench, Carp, Bream, 

 and Eels ; if the grains are sour, or your ground bait 

 mouldy, it will drive the fish away instead of encouraging 

 them. Observe, an angler who uses plenty of ground bait, 

 and fishes on the bottom, will catch three times as many as 

 one who does not. 



