PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



517 



very light basket. In legering much the same tackle may 

 be used as that described in carp-fishing a fine gut bottom, 

 a bullet no larger than is absolutely necessary to find and 

 hold the ground against the stream, the hook the same as 

 that previously described, allowing the fish a fair time if the 

 bait is a large one, before striking him. A capital bait at 

 times for a bream is a bolus of plain bread paste, made 

 from the crumb of stale, yet perfectly sweet and white 

 bread, just dipped into water, and worked up with scrupu- 

 lously clean hands until it attains a tough and stiff con- 

 sistency. This may sometimes be sweetened with a little 

 honey to advantage, although I have usually found that 

 when they are in a paste-feeding humour, the plain kills 

 just as well as the sweet. Paste will not stand a heavy 

 current long, so that the hook should be frequently looked 

 at, and a small triangle will be found more serviceable than 

 a single hook, holding the paste much better together. 

 Gentles, again, sometimes exercise a powerful attraction ; 

 they are best used on a diminutive triangle, ground-baiting 

 with plenty of "carrion," and using liver gentles for the 

 hook. Bream seek the deep secluded parts of ponds and 

 lakes, and thrive amazingly in favourable waters, such as 

 have a bottom of an oozy, sandy nature, and where the 

 sides have an edging of weed-beds, lilies and water-flags. 

 Here, in the hot weather, they will be found rolling 

 and tumbling about in the weeds, to which they resort 

 for shade and shelter during the heat of the day. In 

 some waters that can be fished only from the side, 

 a long rod is really needful, so as to clear the weeds. 

 At all times, however, cumbersome and heavy, a long 

 rod, where running tackle is employed, becomes an abomi- 

 nable nuisance, from the difficulty in unshipping a 

 joint to allow landing the fish. I should, then, always 



