184 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



3ft. 7in. in length, giving, when put together with bottom 

 button (Fig. 19), a total of 7ft. The butt and top are 

 carefully whipped at intervals of an inch, and have a 

 fitting of porcelain rings on each side with a two-sided 

 winch fitting. The end guide is also adamite (a hard 

 porcelain), fitted on the American principle. The rod is 

 limber, and springs right down to the butt. With this 

 rod, a light braided silk line (83 gauge), and IJoz. of 

 lead, the author, on November 28th, 1903, killed a conger 

 weighing ISJlbs. at Deal. 



The leads used at Deal should run from loz. to 6Joz., 

 the handiest being a 3oz., a 2oz,, and a IJoz. These 

 can be used either singly or in combination, to make 1 Joz., 



Fig 38. The Deal Lead. 



2oz., 3oz., 4Joz., 5oz., 6Joz., 8oz., 8|oz. and 9|oz., the last 

 two only in exceptionally heavy tides. Personally, I use 

 pear-shaped leads, (Fig. 39, 1 A) but some prefer other 

 shapes, which they think are not so apt to be carried 

 away by the run of tide. The Deal lead in which por- 

 tions are removable is popular with many anglers 

 (Fig. 38), The best forms of tackle to use at Deal for the 

 capture of cod and whiting are undoubtedly the pater- 

 noster and the ledger ; or the two may be combined, 

 either with or without booms. In heavy tides booms 

 are useless and can well be omitted, but in slack water 

 they serve to keep the bait away from the main line 

 when it is running down. 



The hooks should never be more than three in number, 

 and for the bottom the best size is undoubtedly the 

 No. 2/0 of either Minchin or Clements pattern, both of 



