164 COARSE FISH. 



should be little, if at all, larger than hens' eggs. I 

 am confident that the Thames system of baiting 

 with great lumps of groundbait is detrimental to 

 sport ; fish should be attracted, but not fed. A 

 small pellet of bait at every swim is a most excel- 

 lent dodge when float-fishing ; if you have an 

 attendant, let him pitch one a little above the float 

 at the commencement of each swim, that is, in 

 gentle runs or in eddies. I have had, and seen, 

 good results from this practice. A few gentles may be 

 enclosed with the bread and bran if you are baiting 

 with gentles. Both bait and groundbait should be 

 as clean and sweet as possible ; paste should be 

 made by the bank and used fresh, mixing fresh 

 paste every three or four hours in hot weather ; the 

 cloth containing the paste should be kept in the 

 shade. 



Groundbaiting with broken worms will frequently 

 give sport during the autumn, winter and spring 



months ; but even with 

 this groundbait avoid 

 using clay, mixing the 

 worms with bread and 

 bran, or sinking them 

 with a " diving bell," an 

 ingenious arrangement, in 

 which the groundbait is 

 lowered to the bottom ; 

 pulling the cord liberates 

 the groundbait, which is 

 GROUNDBAIT CAN. scattered on the bed of 



the river. " Diving bells " 



are mostly used when fishing from a punt. (Peek, 

 -of Gray's Inn Road,. E.G., sells them, the price 

 -being only eighteenpence.). ,A groundbait of 



