ON FISH PRINCIPALLY USED AS BAITS. 10$ 



quill and cork float, fine stained gut-line, and a 

 No. 2 or 3 hook. 



From 4 to 6 feet of water, where the current is 

 of a medium strength, is the best kind of Gudgeon 

 swim, and the depth should be plumbed accurately, 

 so that the bait may just " dribble" (not drag) 

 along the bottom. The best, indeed the only 

 good Gudgeon bait, is the worm, and of worms by 

 far the best is the brandling. Any small worm, 

 however, will do if brandlings cannot be obtained. 

 It will generally be found that the lower half will be 

 better than the whole worm, and that fewer bites 

 will be missed when the hook is thus baited. The 

 only ground bait which I am acquainted with that is 

 of any use for Gudgeon is small broken worms, 

 mixed with soft clayey mud, which will dissolve 

 rapidly on reaching the bottom, and will cause a 

 thickening or muddying of the water. This result, 

 however, is much better achieved by raking the 

 bottom of the river before, and occasionally during 

 fishing, with a long, heavy iron rake, which is 

 kept by all Thames puntsmen for this purpose. 

 The Gudgeon are attracted by the animalculae, 



