PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 5<>9 



time in pursuit of them, to see that their tackle is of good 

 quality and without flaws, for a river tench of any size, and 

 who being hooked gets into anything like a strong current, 

 will try the tackle as much, perhaps, as a barbel, and 

 that is saying a good deal for his fighting powers. Far 

 and away more likely places will be old clay pits, deep 

 ponds, fleets and meres, and the large ornamental sheets 

 of water that are found in many of our large landed 

 proprietors' domains, and where a request for a day's 

 angling rarely meets with refusal if properly preferred. In 

 such a situation, and supposing the water to be fairly free 

 from weeds, or with large open spaces between the weed- 

 grown places, I would recommend that before fishing, the 

 place should be plentifully ground-baited for a night or two 

 previously. If it is intended to angle with worms, chopped 

 lobs should form the attraction, first selecting from the 

 stock gathered, the flat, silvery and medium-sized worms 

 for the hook. Never bait the hook with those dull, leaden- 

 coloured worms, with a red band running round them, and 

 an orange-coloured belly. I don't mean to say that a 

 tench would never take one if offered him, and nicely put 

 on the hook ; but I think the other worm will kill in the 

 proportion of four to one at least such has been my 

 experience, therefore I think it proves which of the two is 

 the better. If float fishing is preferred it should be as 

 light as possible, for the tench is a shy feeder, and would 

 infallibly leave the bait if he found that he was dragging at 

 a big cork float on the surface. A small swan or porcupine 

 quill is as good as any ; the gut should be fine yet good, 

 the hook No. 7 or 8, fairly long in the shank and round in 

 the bend, the running line of fine yet strong silk plaited 

 for choice while the rod need not be longer than is 

 necessary to reach the place selected. If the water be 



