150 



AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



Fourgate Pit, above St. Ives, at Hemingford, and resulted 

 in the capture of over a ton of grand fish Use the same 

 tackle as for night ledgering, but rather finer gut 

 Ground-bait as before, and use brandlings as hook-bait. 

 Immediately before fishing cast in about a quarter of a 

 bushel of brewer's grains, if possible still hot, and fish in 

 the cloud caused by their sinking. Taking fish in this 

 method is a fine art, and not to be acquired immediately. 

 The writer and a friend (an old and experienced angler 



33. 



Two diagram^ illustrating ledgering with tight and slack line. The 



line is practically in the line of strike with the slack line, whereas 



with the tight line the strike has to lift the lead through a greater 



interval. 



for both coarse and game fish) had the novel experience 

 of seeing two boys and an old gentleman take a sackful 

 offish, while they themselves only captured one between 

 them, and that foul hooked. Every now and then one 

 or the other got a tug, struck hard, and on pulling up 

 found the hook was bare. After two or three unsuccess- 

 ful expeditions the secret was discovered, viz., the strike 

 must be done before the tug is felt, as then it is too late, 

 I give here two diagrams which demonstrate how bream 

 can bite on ledger tackle. 



If the fish bite shyly, as they do in the daytime in the 

 summer, then as soon as they feel the weight of the 

 pipe lead they drop the bait, and the tug felt is the lead 



