SEPTEMBER 145 



by routing in the mud. This routing liberates bubbles 

 of gas, and the movements of the fibh are shown by the 

 bubbles released. These bubbles, when caused by 

 bream, differ from ordinary bubbles from the fact that 

 in passing upwards through the water they get coated 

 with some of th^ slime with which these fish are so 

 bountifully endowed, and therefore look like a minute 

 bladder on the surface of the water. 



Well then, the simple method of finding bream is to 

 look for thick water, and see if there are any bream 

 bubbles coming up. " There they be a-blubbering," as 

 my old Broadman says. 



In shallow water the fish, being by nature extremely 

 shy, are easily alarmed, and will fly on the approach of a 

 boat. 



Therefore find your fish, get a nice open spot, put 

 down ground bait, mark the place, and go away. Then 

 proceed to get a shoal of fish moving, and drive them on 

 to the bait, rounding them up like sheep ; put down your 

 poles twenty yards off, and make long casts as nearly 

 over the ground-bait as possible. 



How is this to be done ? 



Suppose your baited spot is in two feet or three feet 

 of water, place your float at that distance from the 

 lowest shot. Pull off twenty-five yards of dressed line, 

 and then re-coil it in the bottom of the boat so that it 

 will run easily. This line must not be vaselined, as it 

 should sink as soon as possible. Bait your two hooks, 

 each with the tail of a nice lob, and, casting either under- 

 hand or overhand, aim for the mark. This must be done 

 while sitting, as standing up in the boat in this shallow 

 water will at once scare the fish. Should the float go 

 anywhere near the ground-bait that is, within two 

 yards lay down the rod and wait. Suddenly, after a 

 greater or lesser interval of time, the float bobs a little 

 or perhaps lifts, and after one or two uneasy move- 

 ments slides away sideways into the water. Strike 

 hard and play lightly, getting the fish as quickly to the 

 boat as possible. Fight it out under the rod point if 

 possible, and get him into the net on the first opportunity. 



