AUGUST 127 



pass it on to the stomach. As the food is being 

 swallowed, the fish, moving on his way, masticates and 

 mills it with the millstone-like throat teeth. The food of 

 the carp is mainly soft vegetable and animal matter, 

 which the aforesaid teeth are capable of thoroughly 

 crushing. 



With this slight notice of the natural history of the 

 fish, let us briefly consider the best manner in which it 

 may be captured. The methods used in carp-fishing 

 require four different varieties of tackle. These are : 

 Light float tackle, heavy float tackle, ledger tackle, and 

 tackle to lie on the bottom without either lead or float. 



Of the first variety little need be said, save and 

 except that this is a variety usually recommended by 

 the books. 



A small porcupine quill, 1 Jdr. of shot, a No. 5 hook, 

 an undressed line, and a Nottingham winch, fitted on a 

 short, whippy rod, comprise the equipment. Its use is 

 simple. Choose a spot free from weeds within thirty 

 feet of the shore, and well bait it for three days with 

 bread, bran and potato, or substitute chopped lobworms 

 for the latter. This baiting should be done each evening 

 about eight to nine o'clock, according to the month. 

 The most favourable season being the end of April and 

 the beginning of May, especially if the weather is hot. 



In getting the ground bait in, it is important that the 

 same identical spot should be baited each evening, as 

 the carp are then not surprised to find the hook bait 

 there eventually. The evening of the third day after 

 the ground bait has been put in the angler may try the 

 spot with his tackle, taking great care that he does not 

 make a noise on the bank or stand upright. The hook 

 should be baited either with potato or lobworm, accord- 

 ing to whichever has been used in the ground bait. 

 Cast out the float, preferably over the position of the 

 ground bait. The rod is to be laid down on the bank or 

 supported, as suggested by Bickerdyke, on a Y-shaped 

 stick. The plumbing ought to have been done the night 

 before, and the tacke ought to be so arranged that the 

 bait shall lie on the bottom at some little distance from 



