46 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



bait in as you go along, or just before you fish another 

 place. If the water runs tolerably fast, throw your ground 

 bait in a dozen yards above where you are going to stand, or 

 the stream will carry it clear out of your reach. If, how- 

 ever, the stream glides more slowly, one need only throw 

 the ground bait in a little above. If you are fishing with 

 worms, a nicely scoured maiden lob-worm is as good as any 

 on a No. 6 or 7 hook, and for this bait fish as near the 

 bottom as you can. A small bag of sawdust will be very 

 useful in baiting your hook with a worm. In baiting you 

 can either break about half an inch off the head end of the 

 worm, and stick the hook in the end thus broken, or you 

 can leave the head on and put the hook in about three- 

 eighths of an inch from the end. Dip your worm in the 

 sawdust, and work the hook nicely down the worm to about 

 half an inch from the tail, taking care that you do not bruise 

 or cut it by allowing the point of the hook to protrude from 

 it during its passage down the worm. Treat the worm ten- 

 derly, for rough handling spoils its attractiveness. I think it 

 is an improvement if the point of the hook be brought out 

 about half an inch from the tail of the worm, and a small 

 cockspur stuck on the point, for the ends of the bait will 

 then wriggle about in a most lively manner. If you notice 

 an eddy under old roots, or by the side of an overhanging 

 bank, with a sharpish stream outside, and there should 

 happen to be six feet of water, don't pass a place like that, 

 but take two or three coarse worms and break them up small, 

 and throw them in ; drop your carefully threaded bait in, 

 and ten to one, in about a quarter of an hour, you wiU have 

 caught a brace of nice fish. I should then advise you to 

 leave that place, for chub are a fish that are easily disturbed. 

 Before going, however, break up two or three more coarse 

 worms and throw them in ; when you, perhaps, come back 

 again in another hour or two, you can then try the place 



