THE CAEP. 49 



without further delay or preparation, to eat him, when we 

 are horrified at the fearful flavour of mud he gives forth. 

 Now, I cannot help doubting that a fish which can be so 

 pervaded with an outside flavour, like this, by association, 

 must be a very delicately organised fish, and should be 

 capable of a very different result. One thing is admitted, 

 viz., that 150 years or so ago carp fetched a higher price 

 than salmon. 



Carp, when they grow to a large size, or are much fished 

 for, soon become very wary, particularly in ponds. I am 

 inclined to think that they bite much better in rivers ; and 

 in rivers with a gravelly bottom, like the Thames, they are 

 far better, even for the table. As they do not spawn till 

 about June, they are in season through March and April, 

 and therefore I have advocated the increase of them in the 

 Thames, as they would afford good sport when the 

 ordinary Thames fish are out of condition. To fish for 

 carp, the angler requires to be very quiet and unobtrusive, 

 particularly when they are in ponds. Carp grub for their 

 bait along the bottom, and if the angler keeps quiet and 

 out of sight, he may often see them within reach of his 

 rod, routing along in quiet and shallow water, with their 

 tails or back fins above water. I have often taken them 

 when thus occupied by softly casting my float and tackle 

 out a yard or two ahead of them, in the direction they are 

 travelling, and allowing the bait to lie on the bottom, when 

 I have frequently managed to capture the rover. Carp 

 will take both worms and gentles well at times, but 

 farinaceous baits are more in favour with the carp fisher- 

 men of the present day ; for if there happens to be a lot of 

 small roach, perch, or eels in the same pond as there too 

 often is these will, if worms or gentles be used for 

 ground bait, hasten to the spot and eat up most of it 



