24 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



packed up ; so, taking all things into consideration, perhaps 

 the three-joint rod is the best the angler can use, and I 

 might add that I have found that if a three-joint rod is made 

 any longer than twelve feet, it is apt to be too springy in the 

 middle, and does not strike so straight and true from the 

 point as a good Nottingham float-fishing rod should do, and 

 that was the reason I made one in two joints, because I 

 thought I could get the extra six inches in length that was 

 necessary to fish that deep swim just alluded to, without 

 any addition to the weight, and still have the timber in the 

 middle to make it of the necessary stiffness. So those anglers 

 who are anxious to get proficient in the Nottingham style of 

 fishing cannot do better than have a three-joint twelve feet 

 rod for barbel, chub, and bream fishing with a float. A 

 little way back I gave the sizes of the ferrules that are on a 

 very old favourite rod of mine ; but I have fancied since I 

 first penned those notes, that the rod would have been better 

 if each ferrule had been a size larger for this heavy work. 

 Some of our very best all-round men have, at least, four dif- 

 ferent sorts of rods, in order to successfully practise this style 

 of fishing, viz. a twelve-foot one for chub, barbel, bream, 

 <fcc., fishing with a float ; a stronger and stiffer one, eleven 

 feet six inches long, for ledgering or plumbing for barbel, 

 &c. ; an eleven-foot one for roach and dace alone ; and a jack 

 rod, eleven or twelve feet long, according to fancy. I do not 

 say that it is absolutely necessary to have all these rods in 

 order to successfully follow the Nottingham style of fishing ; 

 but still, if the angler has plenty of time on his hands, and 

 can spare the money to buy them, he will find it to be to his 

 advantage to have them. 



Having now most fully described the rod, it will be as 

 well just here to look at its rings, as it is most important 

 that these should be constructed so as to reduce the chance 

 of the line catching or hitching round them to a minimum. In 

 throwing the float and bait in this style, which I shall explain 

 further on, it sometimes happens that when you make your 

 cast the light line will hitch round the ring instead of going 

 straight through it. This happened when the old-fashioned 

 upright ring was put on the rod. There are two or three 



