AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 37 



in all likelihood been a heated and strenuous day is 

 very necessary if the angler is to make good use of 

 his evening ; also the hot tea itself is a mild stimu- 

 lant, just sufficient to refresh a weary man and set 

 him going again. The value of this recuperation is 

 more evident in fly-fishing, but bottom-fishing also 

 has its fatigues ; the mind of a keen angler is 

 always more or less concentrated on his rod and 

 line, and that is tiring in the long run. Therefore, 

 I say once more, let the novice make sure of his 

 tea, wherever he fishes. If he is far from the haunts 

 of housewives and friendly kettles, cold tea in a 

 bottle is better than none at all, or he might, as I 

 sometimes do, take his own little spirit-lamp and 

 kettle with him and brew for himself. 



After tea there remain three good hours of day- 

 light, and the pleasantest part of the fishing day, 

 when the air is cooler and the fish more apt to 

 feed. The novice takes up his position once more 

 by the railing and tries for another perch. He does 

 not get a bite for some time, though he fishes close 

 in and far out, letting the float go as far as his rod 

 can reach. Perhaps a change of bait may be 

 effective. He takes off the lobworm, and replaces 

 it with two of the smaller worms from the other 

 bag, running the point of the hook twice through 

 each. I have often found brandlings more effective 



