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baits you can fish with for Tench the first month after spawn- 

 ing ; but after that month the worm is decidedly his favorite 

 bait, and will catch him better than any other, the red worm 

 or cockspur, and the female lob worm. The rod, reel, line, 

 float and tackle, recommended for Carp fishing, will answer for 

 Tench, only that the hook for wasp-grub must be No. 9, instead 

 of No. 7 or 8 the latter size being for worm fishing. You 

 may bait the place with worms in the same way as recommended 

 for Carp, and fish for them in the same style. Do not mix your 

 ground bait with anything, but throw the worms in as clear 

 when baiting as fishing : this is the only way to ground bait 

 properly. Some Anglers mix up a fearful mess for ground 

 baiting. I once saw a gentleman in a punt, on the Thames, 

 mix up the following beautiful mess for ground baiting, half 

 a tubful of which he threw in : A quart of bran, two pounds 

 of soaked bread, a quart of gentles, two or three handfuls of 

 greaves, and two or three hundred of chopped dew worms, the 

 whole of which he kneaded together in the same way as a baker 

 would knead bread his sleeves being turned up to his shoulders. 

 This bait, instead of having the desired effect, produced the very 

 opposite result. This ground bait has been recommended by 

 some Anglers both for Carp and Tench ; but I think it is ab- 

 surd, and so I am sure will every sensible reader. 



