SPECIALISING. 53 



quicker than the current ; this means a fish, as, of 

 course, does a similar movement across or against 

 the stream. Most of these kinds of bite will occur 

 during a long day's roach fishing, and it is often 

 difficult to detect them when they are not very well 

 marked. 



At last there comes a time when there are no more 

 bites at all, or when they have dwindled to the 

 merest twitches at the float, which I believe often 

 to be due to fish pushing the bait with their noses 

 and not taking it. If the swim has been yielding 

 good fish it is then worth while to try " tight- 

 corking," as it is called. To do this in his present 

 swim, which is 5ft. 6in. deep, the angler must move 

 his float up the line till its cap is about 6ft. 3in. 

 above the hook ; then he drops his hook in down 

 stream, rests his rod on the sedges in front of him, 

 and lets the bait settle down to the bottom. The 

 float held back by the rod-top will be at an angle 

 against the stream, and at a bite will either begin to 

 go under in a slanting direction or become more 

 upright and then go under. For this kind of fishing 

 a bigger piece of paste may be used. I often use 

 one as big as a hazel nut, and find that the fish 

 take it boldly, sometimes even jerking the rod-top 

 down to the water. Bigger roach will often take a 

 bait lying on the bottom. 



