8 PLUMBING THE DEPTH. 



disperse the bait as much and as soon as possible, that all 

 may get a taste, but few a surfeit, which latter they easily 

 do when the large adhesive clay balls are used. 



If it be not convenient to the angler to bait a swim 

 overnight, he will do well, if possible, to pursue the same 

 plan as is recommended in pond-fishing, viz. of baiting two 

 or three pitches, stopping in each only so long as the fish 

 continue biting ; then casting in a little bait and going on 

 to the next, and to .each again in turn ; and thus he will 

 most probably get the most sport possible at the least 

 expenditure of time. 



The pitch having been properly baited, the tackle should 

 be suited to it. The float should be proportioned to the 

 depth and strength of the stream, and should be also so 

 weighted as to sail steadily along, carrying the hook just 

 touching the bottom without the float being sucked under 

 by the whirl of the stream, and with about from one-half to 

 three-quarters of an inch of the quill showing above water. 



To ascertain the depth of the water and suit the float to 

 it, a leaden plummet is generally used by Thames fisher- 

 men, though the Nottingham fishers eschew it, and have 

 another method of ascertaining the depth, which I shall 

 notice in the proper place. In Plate I. fig. 7, p. 1 1, will be 

 seen cuts of two plummets, one of rolled sheet and the other 

 of solid lead. Unroll the rolled one for a turn or two, hook 

 the hook on to the bottom edge of the lead and roll it up 

 so as to secure the hook within, or put the hook through 

 the ring and hook it into a piece of cork fixed in the 

 bottom of the solid one. Then having set the float at 

 what you judge to be about the depth, drop the plummet 

 into the water to the bottom, keeping a tight line, and lift 

 it once or twice to see that all is clear. If the float 

 goes under water, slip it up the line. If it does not 

 reach the water but is above it, drop it down, and so on 

 until it is adjusted, so that the hook shall just touch the 



