CHAPTER III. 



BOTTOM FISHING (GENERAL). 



POND-FISHING FOR PERCH, ETC., GUDGEON, DACE, 

 ROACH, AND BARBEL FISHING. 



UNDER this heading we purpose dealing with 

 each individual fish sought after by the bottom 

 fisher. The constant increase in this class of anglers 

 has of late become so noteworthy that any work on 

 modern methods of angling would be signally incom- 

 plete were this important branch ignored. Still 

 water or pond fishing is associated with the earliest 

 recollections of the majority of fishermen, whether 

 fly, mid-water, or bottom fishers. We shall, there- 

 fore, commence with this simple phase of the gentle 

 art. Worm fishing may be practised successfully 

 for almost every variety of fish in freshwater, not 

 excluding even the trout and salmon. We have 

 devoted a separate chapter to worm fishing for the 

 first-named. The usual objects of the bottom fisher 

 in still water are what are known as coarse fish, 

 ranging from the pike down to the perch and 

 gudgeon, and the arrangement of the tackle em- 

 ployed varies both according to the kind of fish it is 

 desired to take, and the lay of the water. Float 

 fishing is the chief resort of the bottom fisher in 



