THE CAEP AND TENCH. 155 



The rod, reel, and line described and recommended in 

 ;hub and barbel fishing are right for carp and tench fishing. 

 As I have said before, your float should be as small as you 

 like, the self-cocking one will be the best if you can use it, 

 if not the lightest quill you have got, one that will carry four 

 or five small split shots will be quite big enough. In fact, 

 the remarks on the subject of floats in the chapter on roach 

 will fit in exactly for carp and tench fishing; the tackle 

 should be the same as recommended for chub, and as fine as 

 you dare fish with. The split shot should be very small and 

 a long way from the hook, which latter can be a No. 7. or 8. 

 A bit of bread can be steeped, well crushed up, and mixed 

 up with a handful of bran, if you intend to fish with paste, 

 but use your ground bait sparingly, don't toss a thousand or 

 two of worms in, the same as you would for a big barbel 

 swim ; a handful or two of worms, or bread and bran, at once 

 will be quite enough, if you are fishing with worms. I 

 believe a smart brandling is as good as any of these ; thread 

 it carefully on the hook, so that every part of it is hidden in 

 the worm, or Mr. Carp will soon find the latter out. Allow 

 the bait to be plenty deep enough better let it lie a few 

 inches on the bottom than hang clear. If the carp bites, 

 don't be in a hurry, for he is a very slow biter; the float will 

 sometimes bob and tremble for a few seconds, don't meddle 

 with it till it bobs under water and begins to glide away, 

 then strike firmly, and if he is a big one, look out for 

 squalls, should there be a weed bed handy so that he can 

 pop in it. If you wish to use paste, the bread paste re- 

 commended in roach fishing will do, only instead of it being 

 plain, it is best mixed with a little honey ; a few pellets 

 of this can be thrown in before you begin to fish. The 

 cunning old customers, however, will rob your hook of this 

 paste continually, therefore I should prefer the worm myself. 



The chief requirements of an angler for big carp in a pond 

 are, first, very fine tackle ; second, a nice bait ; third, keep out 

 of sight, and make no noise ; fourth, plenty of skill; and fifth, 

 a very large stock of patience, and then you may perhaps 

 catch one or two, and perhaps not, for fishing for carp and 

 catching carp are two different things, and should not be con- 



