HOOK-BAITS FOB CARP. 79 



eel comes and takes your worm, and the hauling of the 

 little brute out is sure to scare the carp. It is better, 

 perhaps if they will take paste or any of the many vege- 

 table or mealy baits recommended for them in the water 

 you are going to fish to ground-bait with them. In some 

 places and at some seasons the worm is preferred, at others 

 paste. Having baited your pitch once or twice, or if you 

 like oftener, come to the water with your rod all ready, 

 your hook baited (and take care to see that it is well 

 covered) ; pitch your float as quieUy as you can out to the 

 requisite distance, lay down the rod in the fork mentioned 

 in Pond-fishing, and flip a few bits of ground-bait in 

 round about your float. When you see a nibble do not be 

 in a hurry, for at the best the carp is a slow biter, and the 

 float will often bob and wriggle about for half a minute or 

 so before the bite is confirmed ; get the rod carefully and 

 cautiously in hand without disturbing the line or float, and 

 when the float goes under and sails majestically away, and 

 not till then, you may raise the point smartly, and in all 

 probability a desperate rush (if the fish is a good one) will 

 answer the strike ; play him as firmly as the tackle will 

 stand, for the hook seldom breaks out of his tough mouth, 

 and get him into the net as soon as you can, and with as 

 little disturbance as possible. Then throw in a handful of 

 bait and proceed to your other baited pitch, and do like- 

 wise, allowing the disturbance at the first to subside before 

 you return to it. By working the two pitches alternately 

 in this way, you may get far more sport from either of them 

 than you would if you had only one baited. 



I have spoken of other baits, and there are an infinite 

 variety which carp are said to take. For paste, both plain 

 and honey paste, see ' Bait Table.' I have heard of anglers 

 employing paste coloured red, but have no faith in it ; 

 paste mixed up with gin or with brandy is also said to be 

 irresistible, but I cannot say that I have found it so, 



