64 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



been looking a dried stick has snapped under my feet, and 

 the chub have instantly bolted. It is, therefore, riecessary 

 that caution should mark your every movement. A No. 6 

 hook on the foot of tackle mentioned above will be the best ; 

 put your live insect, or whatever it is, on the hook as carefully 

 as possible, and see that everything is clear. You then wind 

 up all the spare line until only your foot of gut with its two 

 split shots hangs from the rod point, turn the rod round and 

 round until the gut is entirely twisted on the rod top ; it is 

 now ready for use. The rod is poked through an opening in 

 the bushes until the top is perfectly clear, it is then turned 

 the reverse way until the bait hangs clear, let the line run off 

 the reel till the bait hangs about a foot or so from the water ; 

 carefully mark then where the fish are and drop the bait over 

 them, taking care that none of the gut touches or lies on the 

 water. The two split shots are not used as sinkers, but 

 merely to carry the line through the rings of the rod and to 

 allow you to steer the bait where you like. If the angler has 

 conducted his operations properly, and got his bait quietly on 

 the surface of the water, a chub, perhaps, will rise and gobble 

 it down instantly. If he does, then the angler must not 

 strike instantly, but allow him to turn his head well down 

 and then give him a very gentle pull. If the fish be struck 

 on the very instant the chub bites, he will splash about on 

 the top of the water and scare all the fish within yards. The 

 fisher must then look for a handy hole close by, through 

 which he can poke the landing-net, and after carefully land- 

 ing his fish he retires a few yards and rebaits his hook, and 

 after waiting a few minutes until the chub have recovered 

 their equanimity, he again pokes his rod through and repeats 

 the operation. After a brace of chub have been taken by 

 this means, they generally become disturbed in that place, 

 and the best plan is to leave it and look for another. Small 

 frogs are a very good bait for this kind of fishing. Hang a 

 very little bit of the skin of the back on the bend of the 

 hook, and put it gently on the surface of the water, as 

 described before. As soon as it touches the water the frog 

 will strike out and try to swim away, when if there is a chub 

 within reasonable range, the frog will prove such an attrac- 



