4 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



from spot to spot like this, to fish over a good deal of the 

 ground advantageously. 



The above is the best general plan for the young angler to 

 adopt. If, however, he intends angling for any particular fish, 

 he will find the method of doing so described under its special 

 head in another part of this chapter. 



In BOTTOM-FISHING upon streams there are various methods 

 and tackles employed. In large rivers it is advisable to use a 

 boat or punt, as there are many places which cannot be 

 reached by fishing from the bank. Of punt-fishing, however, 

 we shall treat hereafter. At present we shall confine ourselves 

 simply to bottom-fishing from the bank. 



The first point the angler should settle is the choice of a swim ; 

 and having once decided upon this, and properly baited it, he 

 should not be in a hurry to quit it for another. He must select 

 a spot where there is the best appearance of fish. He may see 

 the fish sailing about at the bottom, or in mid-water, or jump- 

 ing about on the surface in which case he will not have much 

 difficulty in deciding : but it may happen that the water is 

 deep and quiet, and he will not have this method of determin- 

 ing upon his fishing ground. Let him, then, if not too lazy, get 

 up very early in the morning, and take a walk by the river- 

 side ; and soon after daybreak, when all is yet quiet, he will 

 see the fish begin to break the water, and roach, dace, barbel, 

 bream, and other fish will jump about, or put up their heads, 

 as if to see what sort of a day it is to be. Let him then note 

 where these rises are the thickest, and choose that place. The 

 angler can do the same thing late in the evening ; but the fish 

 do not as a general rule move nearly so freely then as in the 

 morning. 



If he has no means of obtaining this information, and knows 

 not whom to ask which are the recognised swims, let him walk 

 along the banks of the river and note where the grass is well 

 worn by the long dwelling or treading of muddy feet ; and let 

 him look out for traces of clay, bran, or other debris of ground- 

 baits, which are usually sufficiently visible to point out the 

 desirable spot. If none of these serve, then he must rely upon 

 his own judgment, choosing a swim neither too deep nor too 

 shallow as regards the water, nor too swift nor sluggish for the 

 stream. The neighbourhood of good overhanging banks or 

 large bushes, a bank of weeds, or a deep hole, to form harbours 

 for the fish, is always desirable. The ground should also be^as 



