NOTTINGHAM ANGLING. 61 



CHAPTER II. 



B TTOM-FISHING continued. 



NOTTINGHAM ANGLINO CASTING FROM THB REEL BACKING LIGHT 

 CORKING THE SLIDER, ETC. 



HAYING spoken of the Nottingham style of fishing, it may 

 be as well here to give some idea of its method and the 

 means and appliances required for it. In the first place, 

 then, as to tackle, Nottingham reels differ widely from 

 those commonly employed ; they are usually made of wood 

 and in two pieces, the barrel of the reel upon which the 

 line is wound turning on a spindle fixed in the centre of 

 the portion which forms the immovable part of the reel. 

 This is contrived so that the barrel shall run with the 

 utmost freedom at the lightest touch. These reels were 

 invented chiefly for bank-fishing, where it is required to 

 cast out a long line. In the fashion pursued by the 

 fishermen who require to cast a long line on the Thames, 

 for ledgering or spinning more particularly, the line is 

 drawn off the reel and laid loosely in coils at the fisher- 

 man's feet, unless he be dexterous enough to gather it up in 

 the palm of the left hand as some do, and such a practice 

 would not do where the angler is walking along the bank 

 of a river, or fishing haply from a withy or reed bed, for 

 his line would be constantly catching in twigs, thorns, or 

 particles of rubbish, and a tangle at the rings would be 

 inevitable at every cast. Added to this, the Nottingham 

 style of float-fishing absolutely requires the finest and 



