286 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



gills were double, one pair being on the inside and one on the 

 outside of the neck ; but I could not discover that it ever 

 came to the surface of the water to breathe ; it appeared to 

 sleep constantly ; and its motion in swimming, when disturbed, 

 was exactly like that of an eel. It was always necessary to keep 

 it covered up, as upon lengthened exposure to light its life 

 and its colour ebbed away together. 



It is probable that during the winter months carp retire 

 almost wholly into the mud, or under roots, hollows, and 

 weeds, and at this time they are hardly ever to be taken 

 with a bait In the summer they frequently lie sucking in 

 the weeds, in a sort of lazy state, each ' suck ' making a very 

 distinct and unmistakable noise. It very much resembles the 

 sound made by a pig, to which animal, indeed, a big carp has 

 always appeared to me to bear a striking likeness, both in face 

 and character. When not sucking or basking, the carp usually 

 swims about in shoals near the surface of the water, returning 

 to the bottom to feed. 



Early in the morning, and, occasionally, late in the evening, 

 are the best times for fishing ; but, as observed, the catching 

 of carp with the rod and line is always a difficult and uncertain 

 operation, particularly if the fish are large. The smaller the 

 pond, the better the chance I have always found of catching 

 carp and tench, though, of course, they are not so large as in 

 bigger waters. I once caught half a bucketful of carp before 

 breakfast, in a pond by the side of a road between Weybridge 

 and By-fleet, which was not bigger than an ordinary sized ball- 

 room. The biggest of these carp did not, however, exceed 

 2 Ibs. in weight. 



The following is the method of carp fishing in stagnant 

 waters which I have found most successful : 



Let the line be entirely of medium sized or fine round gut 

 clouded, if possible with a very light quill float, say, No. 4, 

 and one good sized shot, about six inches or so from the hook, 

 which should be No. 5 or 6 and baited with a brandling or red 

 worm. Plumb the depth accurately ; and arrange the distance 



