202 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



gradually lessens the speed of the reel's revolutions 

 by braking it with a finger on the rim, finally stop- 

 ping it dead, so that the bait falls in gently and 

 without commotion. Then one allo\vs it to sink in 

 the water to the proper depth, and afterwards winds 

 it in just quickly enough to make it spin well, and 

 at the same time to keep it above the bottom or the 

 weeds. If a fish takes it, one immediately pushes 

 the button which puts on the check with a dis- 

 engaged finger, and so plays him. 



This is the principle of it, but its application is 

 by no means easy, and I do not recommend the 

 novice to try it at first. His 4in. reel, easy running 

 though it be, is not easy enough for a little bait 

 and a light lead, and the first trial would be very 

 discouraging. He would find his minnow on his 

 hat, in the nettles, in the small of his back, almost 

 anywhere but in the water. But there is no harm 

 in his practising the method in off-times. I began 

 by tying a couple of loz. leads onto the end of the 

 line and casting them, on an occasion when 1 was 

 supposed to be fishing for Thames trout, and prac- 

 tised for about three hours on two successive days. 

 There were some moments at which I concluded 

 that the method was so overrated as to be unworthy 

 of further cultivation (2oz. of lead can deal a very 

 shrewd blow to an unsuspecting person, and the 



