TIGHT-CORKING. 57 



instead of a rod, and playing the fish, when hooked, with 

 the hands. The tackle they use is of course stout. They 

 weld up horse-dung with the clay ball, which is supposed 

 to render it more attractive. I have seen a Frenchman 

 make some very good takes of barbel in this way, with 

 about twelve feet of water-cord, and the half of an old 

 umbrella rib. The slightest bite is felt very distinctly 

 with this apparatus. 



Tight-corking, as pursued on the Trent, is simply using 

 a heavyish float well shotted and plumbed some two feet 

 too deep. The result of this is that the shot drags on the 

 bottom, and the float is kept stationary, hanging down 

 stream while the bait lies still on the ground, but imme- 

 diately a fish bites at it the float gives warning. This 

 method of fishing ip often combined with a small clay ball, 

 particularly by bank-anglers, who squeeze on above the 

 hook a small clay ball as big as a plum, and leave the 

 ball and bait to drag on the bottom, the float showing 

 when the bait is taken almost as well as when it is in 

 regular floating trim. This may be called a combination 

 of tight-corking and clay-balling. 



Though cheese is often used in float -fishing, it is more 

 often so used for chub (which are particularly fond of 

 cheese) than barbel. The cheese used on the Trent and 

 in the midland counties is made of skim-milk, and with- 

 out salt ; it must be cut into small pieces, of the size of 

 a small gooseberry. As at every strike or two the bait 

 requires to be renewed, when other baits can be obtained 

 it is not much in favour. Barbel also take greaves well, 

 and likewise gentles ; both may be used either with float 

 or ledger. Barbel, particularly the larger ones, may, in 

 the spring of the year, often be taken with a spinning bait, 

 when the angler is spinning for trout, in weir-pools and 

 such rough water. I have known many large ones caught 

 thus, and one of about fifteen pounds was taken years back 



