68 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



hidden after two or three hours. Nottingham 

 fishing, however, is not, I think, very profitable for 

 the novice ; if he will try it, let him get some 

 experienced friend to give him an object-lesson, 

 explaining the uses of the free-running reel, the 

 strength of the " strike " required to hook a fish, 

 and the art of ground-baiting a long swim. Or if 

 he has no friend who knows about it, let him make 

 his first trial by dropping his float into a strong 

 stream such as that in the mill pool when the 

 wheel is working. After he has pressed back the 

 knob which puts the check on his reel, he will find 

 that the strain of the water will pull line off without 

 any assistance from him ; indeed, he may have to 

 use a finger as a brake to prevent the reel going 

 round too fast, and over- running. In a slower 

 stream he may have to help the float by pulling 

 line off, and easing it through the rings with slight 

 upward pulls of the rod-top. When the float has 

 travelled as far as he desires, he simply winds the 

 ine in again, and repeats the process. A good 

 deal of force in raising the rod-point is necessary 

 to hook a fish twenty yards or more away, 

 therefore he should not attempt to use fine gut 

 until he has had plenty of practice. 



Yet another mode of fishing at a distance is 

 " legering," a proceeding which the novice will find 



