5 i 4 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



and Commercial Docks, formerly open to the hard-working 

 London angler, but now unhappily tabooed, unless at a 

 terribly high price for a season ticket $ I am told holds 

 plenty of them; and the Welsh Harp and Dagenham fishery 

 lakes as well, usually returns a take of these fish to one who 

 knows the peculiarities of each spot, and studying them, 

 takes the trouble to fish with caution, suitable bait and fine 

 tackle. Very much depends upon the water to be fished, 

 upon the method adopted and the description of tackle 

 employed. In the Thames, except at one or two places, 

 where the bank fisher may command one or other of the 

 deep holes which are known to be bream haunts with the 

 leger, it is simply labour in vain to attempt to fish for them 

 from the bank with any chance of making a good catch. 

 They are shy and crafty in the extreme, and take good care 

 to keep well away from the sides of the river and out in the 

 more fancied security of the deeps ; so that even if the bank- 

 man can throw his leger into the hole, his only chance of 

 success would be at the very earliest peep of " early morn " 

 or at the close of " dewy eve ; " and these two periods of the 

 day may be taken, from first to last, as the best times to 

 endeavour to seduce our slimy friend into appreciating the 

 flavour of a well scoured lob, or, indeed, any other bait with 

 which one may choose to tempt him. In Thames fishing, 

 then, for bream, it is absolutely necessary to fish from a 

 punt or boat, and for this method of angling a Nottingham 

 rod, with two tops, of 12 or 14 feet in length, is the best 

 that can be used ; they are wonderfully light, and one may 

 fish all day with one of these rods without tiring the arm, 

 no small desideratum in a long day's work. These rods * 

 are besides so nicely adjusted that the change of tops 

 makes a complete change in the character of the rod with 

 the long and somewhat flexible top, one gets a rod with the 



