128 



AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



the gut passing up to the float, in order that the fish 

 when nosing about the bait may not be alarmed by 

 striking against it. If the carp should be tame enough 

 to come so near, you may get a bite. The carp bite is 

 characteristic. The float bobs a little, then may incline 

 a little one way, then the other, and then lie still. In 

 the course of five minutes the same 

 may occur again, and this may con- 

 tinue for some time. Finally, the 

 float begins to sail away sideways. 

 Lift the rod, and strike firmly in the 

 other direction, and then the fun 

 begins. It is to be remembered 

 that you are using fine tackle, there- 

 fore you must let your fish travel, 

 and away he goes for the nearest 

 clump of thick weeds, and away 

 through them. If your tackle stands 

 the strain, you may turn him, and 

 back he comes float first. He makes 

 a terrible dive for the bottom, and 

 takes the float down, the top of which 

 gets promptly entangled in the weeds. 

 There is a fine tight line between the 

 float and the rod top, and behind 

 is slack. Mr. Carp takes advantage 

 of the chance, and gets rid of the 

 hook, or with a sudden jerk breaks 

 the rigiH gut between the float and 

 himself. 



These, then, are the disadvantages 

 of the ordinary tackle. Many anglers of great experi- 

 ence use only the ledger, because there is nothing to 

 hitch. This tackle, however, has disadvantages 

 of its own for certain situations, such as 

 lakes with soft, muddy bottoms, as the lead at 

 once sinks, unless the very ingenious modification 

 of a cork-clothed bullet (the invention of a London 

 angling pressman) is used. This is simply made by 

 enclosing an ordinary ledger bullet in a block of good 



Fig. 30. Cork-covered 

 Ledger. 



A. Cork split and 



hollowed. 



B. Ledger completed 



