20 GUDGEON FASCINATION. 



under water, and the fisherman has little more to do than 

 to pull up, no matter how, to catch the fish ; though a 

 sharp upward stroke of the rod, the wrist and forearm 

 being suddenly jerked up to produce it, is desirable. The 

 elbow should be kept close to the side, and the rod held 

 lightly in the hand. For the reason that the fish require 

 so little skill to take them, gudgeon-fishing has always 

 been a favourite pursuit with the fair sex. I feel that I 

 might be sarcastic here, and draw morals of divers kinds. 

 But I refrain, for I have enjoyed many a day's gudgeon- 

 fishing in the fairest of fair company, and I am grateful 

 even for the recollection; and let me tell you, young 

 fisherman, that it is a mighty dangerous occupation to 

 your peace of mind. To the angler of maturer years, 

 gudgeon-fishing on the bosom of old Thames with a chosen 

 friend, who is lively, philosophical, contemplative, or con- 

 vivial as the humour changes, a cold pigeon-pie, a bottle 

 of sparkling sherry, unlimited seltzer cooling in the well, 

 a fine warm day, and a case of fragrant Cabanas, is not to 

 despised by any means. But abler pens than mine have 

 sung the praises of gudgeon -fishing ; and who that is an 

 enthusiastic Thames fisher does not remember the greatest 

 of our modern humourist's lyric, with its score of rhymes 

 to * Dittoo ? ' But revenans a nos goujons. When the 

 fish begin t . slacken in their biting, the rake must be used 

 again, and they will renew their attentions; sometimes 

 even a third raking will answer if the fish round the spot 

 are very plentiful, but more often two applications of the 

 rake will be found sufficient. 



Gudgeon, however, not only multiply in running 

 streams; they thrive well in ponds. I once threw the 

 contents of my bait-can into a dirty horse-pond, and the 

 gudgeons bred in it and did well there, and lived in it for 

 years, fuinishing me with bait upon emergencies. Indeed, 



