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with you, for if they should not fancy the one, perhaps the 

 other might tempt them. 



A rod ten feet long will be sufficient for Gudgeon fishing, 

 as light as possible, with plenty of spring in it. 1 don't mean 

 weak in the middle, but a rod each part of which will bear an 

 equal share of the labour, and that will strike sharp from the 

 top. A rod light at the top and stiff in the middle is of no use 

 whatever, when you are fishing with a light tackle. I would 

 recommend a two and a half inch wood reel that runs freely, 

 for sometimes a Barbel will take a fancy to your nice red worm, 

 and unless you have a free running reel, you know what would 

 happen. The line recommended for Eoach fishing will be just 

 the thing to fish for Gudgeon with, but always keep sufficient on 

 the reel in case a large fish should bite. I remember fishing 

 a place for Gudgeon with the worm, and was agreeably surprised 

 to find a shoal of large Perch in the swim. Two out of the 

 first three got away in consequence of the hook being so small, but 

 I quickly put on a larger one, and soon captured them all ; then 

 the Gudgeon came on to bite, and in a short time I caught as 

 many as I wanted. Never use a cork float for this style of 

 fishing, always a quill one ; the smaller the better, if you can 

 work with it. Your tackle should be fine gut, your hook for 

 gentles No 12, and for worms No. 10. Let your bottom shot 

 be about nine inches from the hook, but if the stream is rapid 

 six or seven inches will be enough. 



Another person and I once laid a wager as to which of us 

 would catch the greatest number of Gudgeon in two hours. 

 I will here mention the plan I adopted to win the match. I 

 took a piece of brass wire a foot long, and about the thickness 

 of a common pin, and twisted a small noose in the middle, and 

 another at each end of the wire. I then tied a single gut with 

 a shot in the middle to each end. I put a No. 10 hook on each, 

 and baited them with small cockspurs. The wire was intended 

 to keep the tackle apart. I had a rod about eight feet long, 

 and a piece of line the same length. I put on a small quill 

 float, and then tied the line to the noose in the middle of the 



