52 BOTTOM FISHING. 



were favourable to sport, and as the swim had 

 been nicely and judiciously baited the day pre- 

 vious, we quickly did some execution. After an 

 hour or two's fishing, we had gained gradually but 

 at an increasing rate on our antagonist ; he accounted 

 for this by affirming that we had monopolised 

 the best position, on which we " swapped " places. 

 The main result, however, was still the same. Our 

 companion now suggested that the secret lay in our 

 bait, on which our reserve was immediately placed at 

 his disposal. Still the same result appeared, though 

 in a much more marked degree, and our friend 

 now became irritable, and his patience collapsed, 

 together with his rod and tackle. " Luck's dead 

 against me, and it's useless fighting against fate," was 

 the explanation tendered, while the process of un- 

 jointing was being gone through. We now thought it 

 high time to expostulate by delivering ourselves of 

 our view of the affair, which we speedily did, winding 

 up with an offer to so rig up our friend that he would 

 equal if not rival us. This was finally carried out, 

 and the result showed that with an accurately con- 

 structed hook five bites amounted upon the average 

 to four fish, whilst with a badly made or deformed 

 one, the bites, or rather nibbles in this case, yielded but 

 a meagre per centage of captures, the precise number 

 ranging, as a matter of course, according to the size 

 and nature of the hook. 



The float should be very light. Another considera- 

 tion is the substance to mount the hooks upon 

 whether hair or gut some anglers preferring one, and 



