BOTTOM FISHING. 3 



had so long scanned with anxious infraction of the tenth 

 commandment in the window of the local tackier, who was 

 also a hair-dresser, toy-shopper, stationer, newsman, and 

 tobacconist ; and beside it on the table a paper parcel con- 

 taining a bamboo winder, with a real line and float, and a 



gut hook. Ah h ! Times have passed since then, and 



many strokes of good fortune and unexpected luck have 

 happened, but few that gave us such delight as that ! 

 With some such appliances the young angler will pro- 

 bably commence his career as a real angler. With a bag 

 of well scoured worms (after a wormey week or so, during 

 which worms have been discovered about the house in 

 unusual places, to the terror of the housemaid and indigna- 

 tion of mamma), he will make his way to brook, river, 

 or pond, and try conclusions with the denizens of the 

 waters. At first he will fish for anything that comes 

 along. As he improves he will go out with a set purpose 

 to catch some particular kind of fish, then he may be said 

 to be on the high road to knowledge. 



BOTTOM FISHING may be practised either from the shore 

 or from a boat. Whichever the angler selects to com- 

 mence from, he should always remember the cardinal rule, 

 " Study to be quiet." It is an old rule, a very old rule, 

 but it has had the approval of all anglers, from Father 

 Izaak's time down. Be as quiet and unobtrusive as 

 possible. You may catch many kinds of fish either from 

 the land or from a boat ; but if you wish to fish for carp, 

 say in still waters, you will find it better to fish from the 

 land, as they are very shy, and the least movement of the 

 boat causing wave or ripple will suffice to make them still 

 more shy. We will suppose, therefore that the angler 

 commences from the shore in still water say a pond. To 

 do so effectually, he will find a good long light rod of some 



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