32 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



Starwort in hundreds of acres of water has in many 

 cases nearly choked up the Broads ; any person there- 

 fore wanting to catch fish on the waters must avoid the 

 weeds, and the tackles described will pick up less weed 

 than any others, save and except the gorge, the abomin- 

 ation of all true sportsmen. 



In live-baiting it is as well to give the fish a second 

 or two to get the bait firmly across its mouth before 

 striking. 



By these methods I have frequently had ten or 

 twelve good pike in a day's fishing with a friend on 

 one of the public broads. As most people are aware, the 

 right to fish on several other broads is permitted on pay- 

 ment of a small sum varying from 6d. to 2s. 6d. per day. 

 Of this class of broad my favourite was Barton, 

 although I am now informed that the pike-fishing there is 

 let and daily permits no longer granted. 



However, on South Walsham Outer Broad, Horsea 

 Mere, Ormesby Broad, and Rockland Broad, the fishing 

 is still free ; while on Hickling Broad the charge is Is. 

 per day and on Wroxham Broad is 2s. 6d. per day. 



The best description of how to use the tackle and 

 methods can best be given by the recording of an actual 

 day's sport. Staying at Buckenham Ferry, after break- 

 fast we started off, with a westerly gale blowing, to work 

 up the river to Rockland Broad. Such was the force 

 of the wind that we found it impossible to row the boat 

 up the river, and we therefore got out on the bank and 

 towed her with the line made fast fore and aft, so as to 

 sheer her well away from the shore. 



In this way we got on the Broad, and by working up 

 under the lee of the reeds on the weather side reached 

 the head of the water. As the sea was too violent to 

 permit of drifts we started live-baiting along the rushes, 

 and during the forenoon, by this means, we got five nice 

 fish, the best being 91bs. weight. After lunch the wind 

 moderated, and we started the drifting game, the writer 

 live-baiting and his friend spinning. The spinner took 

 seven fish, four of fair size (one lO^lbs.) the other three 

 being undersized, while the live-bait only accounted for 



