32 ANGLING. 



fish. The angler, of course, fishes as much as he can in 

 the clouded stream that issues from the fissure, and I have 

 heard of capital takes made in conjunction with this 

 apparatus. On the Trent the red worm (called there the 

 cockspur) is held to be the best bait ; but the Trent fishers, 

 though the best barbel fishers perhaps in the world, are 

 not equal to the cockneys at the roach. The bank fisher 

 for roach often employs what is called a " Lea " rod, that 

 is a light cane rod some 20ft. or 22ft. long or even more. 

 With this rod no reel is used, and only enough line to 

 allow a couple of feet or so above the float. When the 

 angler hooks a good fish the long rod enables him to 

 follow its movements about over a good deal of ground ; 

 and, as the fish tires he gradually pulls off and drops 

 joint after joint on the ground until only three or four 

 joints are left, a process which brings the fish at last 

 within reach of the landing net. 



In punt fishing, of course, the usual lift, or 12ft. 

 light cane rod is used. Some people use a rather 

 longer rod in order to give an extra yard or so of swim, 

 but a very slight increase in the length of the rod tells 

 most heavily on the muscles of the arm and hand in 

 the course of a long day's fishing. The Trent fishers 

 use a light 12ft. rod, not quite so stiff as our punt rods, 

 with upright rings, and with this, which is called a 

 " dacing rod," and with a light Derby twist line they pull 

 the line back from between two of the upper rings by the 

 left hand, and holding it as far back from the rod as con- 

 venient, with a gentle swing and by releasing the line so 

 held simultaneously, they can cast their bait and float out 

 into the stream at any reasonable distance from the shore ; 

 the light line lies on the surface of the water, and although 

 there may be 15ft. of line out it does not swell or hang, 



