AUGUST 125 



But in carp fishing there is even more, if possible. The 

 fly-fisher marks down his feeding fish and watches where 

 he lies ; the carp-catcher marks down his fish and notes 

 the paths through which he travels. The former waits 

 till the fish feeds, stalks him, and casts his fly over him 

 with skill and care. The latter does just the same, but 

 has to deal with a fish infinitely more shy and suspicious 

 than trout, and one that once hooked uses knowledge 

 acquired by years of experience, hoarded up in the 

 largest brain of the fish world, to enable him for another 

 time to escape the clutches of his enemy man. 



To be a successful carp fisher requires the skill of the 

 deer stalker, the accuracy of the rifle shot, the impassive 

 alertness of the Red Indian all combined with the 

 patience of Job. These qualities the writer has not, and 

 therefore does not pretend to pose as successful, but 

 writes this chapter as a help to others, and as a beacon 

 marking the pitfalls to be avoided. In order that the 

 reader may be enabled to follow the reasons for the 

 methods adopted, it is necessary that something must 

 be said about the carp itself. Everyone is aware that 

 at least two species flourish in this country, viz., the 

 common carp and the Crucian carp. The latter, also 

 called the Prussian carp, is the probable ancestor of the 

 gold fish, and differs from the carp proper in shape and 

 size, also in the fact that it has no barbels depending 

 from the corners of its mouth; it rarely exceeds IJlb. in 

 weight, and is useless as a table fish ; it is much less shy 

 than its more bulky relative, and seems to be possessed 

 of less intelligence ; it is of quicker growth, and soon 

 tends to overstock the water. Between this fish and the 

 carp proper a hybrid exists, which eventually becomes 

 almost identical with the latter, except that it is unfit to 

 eat, and never grows to a great size. This is probably 

 the fish which is easily captured with roach tackle, &c. 



As to the carp proper, the subject of this sketch, it has 

 been bred since pre-historic times, and many are the 

 varieties existing, such as the leather carp, the mirror 

 carp, the king carp, &c., of which space will permit of 

 nothing more than mention. It is a stately fish, power- 



