130 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



G size ; a float, around the bottom of which is wrapped 

 sufficient lead wire to thoroughly cock it say, about 

 half an ounce ; a yard of medium salmon gut, and a hook, 

 No. 6, if single, or a small trout size triangle if treble, on 

 9 inches of stout gut. This gut below the float has no 

 lead at all on it. 



A word or two must be specially said about the float. 

 A good, large, self-cocking Nottingham cork or quill is 

 excellent, especially if the ordinary float cap be replaced 

 by about an inch of flexible rubber tubing (pulled half on 

 to the quill) through which the line runs (Fig. 31.) The 

 result is that a guide is provided which will pull the float 

 safely through the thickest weeds without any hitch 

 occurring ; another favourite float used by the writer is 

 a large albatross quill, about half an inch in diameter, 

 with a ring at the top. Through this the line runs, so 

 that it is improbable that the float should catch in the 

 weeds. Many baits may be used for carp, such as 

 honey paste, gentles, lobworms, wasp grub, &c., but the 

 writer rarely uses anything except potato on a triangle, 

 either a parboiled kidney potato about the size of a 

 walnut, threaded on with a baiting needle or a lump of 

 paste the same size, consisting of one-third potato and 

 two-thirds bread paste worked up in a mortar. 



This bait is undoubtedly the most killing, but requires 

 to be made without touching by the fingers, and should 

 be put on either with old gloves on, or with hands guilt- 

 less of tobacco smoke. The new potato should be 

 baited by threading it on the triangle with a baiting 

 needle and pulling it home on to the shank so that the 

 hooks are concealed, and then taking a clean cloth and 

 rubbing off the skin ; afterwards loop on the hook link 

 to the gut trace, upon which no lead should on any 

 account be placed. 



The depth of the baited spot, which may be much 

 further out than when using the light float tackle, must 

 be known ; the gut between the float and bait should be 

 1ft. longer, so as to ensure the bait getting to the bot- 

 tom. Cast out over the ground-bait, which may be 

 thirty yards away, by coiling down the dressed line 



