460 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



there is some peculiar circumstance in connection with the 

 temperature of the air, or water, or electrical disturbances, 

 or anything of that kind which prevents the fish feeding. I 

 could give a curious illustration of that. I once went to 

 fish at Mr. Worthington's weir at Sonning. I put into a 

 barbel swim there 28 quarts of lob worms. I think there 

 were nearly three slop pails full. I fished there 24 hours 

 afterwards ; and I may add that at that time I was the 

 angling editor of 'Bell's Life,' and my racing chief, Mr. Henry 

 Smurthwaite, known to every racing man under his nom de 

 plume of " Bleys," was with me. The result of the day's 

 fishing, after giving the barbel a really good rest after 

 baiting, was for the two rods something like three cwt of 

 fish, besides some large trout and perch. I should add, 

 however, that out of the three cwt. we only brought ten 

 fish home, the rest being turned back into the river. Now 

 for a few words of practical instruction. 



The best known methods of capturing this essentially 

 sporting fish are three in number, to wit with the leger, 

 float and clay-ball. Practice with the float may be divided 

 into what is known as " tight " or " long corking," and 

 fishing with the " slider "the latter, certainly, a capital 

 style to adopt, when deep and varying runs of water have 

 to be attempted. I propose, therefore, to deal with the 

 subject matter of this part of my paper in the order named 

 at its head, making my chief point the leger. The rod used 

 an important item, should, in my opinion, for convenient 

 fishing never exceed 12, or at most 14 feet in length ; for 

 as this sport is usually pursued by its votaries from the 

 medium of a punt or boat, as affording the readiest 

 opportunity of reaching known haunts of the fish under 

 notice, a rod of this length will be found far more handy 

 and useful in a cramped space than one of greater length. . 



