THE SLIDER 49 



or sent through the rod-rings when cast. The hole to be 

 fished may be thirty feet deep and twenty feet from the 

 shore, and the rod but twelve feet long, yet by the aid of 

 the slider it can easily be fished. (See Plate II, Fig. i, p. 49.) 

 The slider is now a good deal used by Thames fishermen 

 for traveller-fishing in deepish water, because in playing a 

 good fish with a fixed float, the float often conies up to the 

 rod-point and prevents any more line from being wound 

 in, whereas the slider slips down to the uppermost shot if 

 necessary, and always accommodates itself to the depth of 

 the water ; besides which, if the bait or tackle hangs for a 

 moment on the bottom, the raising of the rod-point brings 

 a direct action on the line and tackle, and clears it without 

 suddenly checking and altering the position of the float, or 

 making a splash with it which would startle the sharp-eyed 

 fish. Indeed, the slider possesses all the qualifications of 

 ordinary floats, and some which are peculiarly its own, of 

 which the others are devoid. In adapting the Nottingham 

 fashion to Thames punt or traveller-fishing, the slider is not 

 necessarily used, but a somewhat longer rod than the Notting- 

 ham bank-fisher employs is used, as the Thames punt-fisher 

 is closer down to the water and has often a longer stretch of 

 line to lift off the surface, as he frequently lets out fifty or 

 sixty yards of line and strikes his fish at times a long way off. 

 In this kind of fishing the rod is held and the tackle employed 

 in the way that is described in chub-fishing.* 



* I have been told, since the first edition of my book was published, that 

 my drawing and apprehension of the action of the slider as respects the 

 position of the bait is wrong, that the float is so checked that the bait, 

 instead of dragging slightly somewhat behind it, acquires precisely the 

 reverse position, bending just as much in front of the float as I have shown 

 it behind. Now I do not hesitate to say that this is simply impossible, for 

 no bait and float could continue to travel so. If the bait touches the bottom 

 at all, the line must bulge or project slightly over in front of the hook and 

 bait, however slightly ; and if the float be held back so tightly that the line 

 is kept back, and the bait travels before the line, then I aver that the bait 

 must absolutely be swept off the bottom altogether, and that it would be 

 impossible to keep up such a constant nicety of alternate tension and giving 

 off of line as should keep the bait to the bottom, and yet before the line 

 and float. Besides, so much tension would draw the float and bait nearer 

 to the bank, and therefore out of the swim in most cases. The whole of this 

 theory is founded upon a considerable misapprehension as to the manner in 

 which a fish takes a bait. The idea is, that as the line projects rather in front 

 of the bait, it would come in contact with the fish's nose before the bait did, 

 and scare him. Now that is supposing that every bait comes straight down 

 the stream dircctlv upon the fish's nose. Let anyone stand upon a bridge 

 and look down at fish feeding, and he will see that nine baits out of ten are 

 taken sideways, the fish making a side dart either to one side or the other. 



