TROUT. 147 



" About the latter end of April, gudgeons generally 

 spawn upon the gravelly hills, and it is worthy of 

 notice, that trout resort thither, and gorge themselves 

 with the spawn. They will then refuse the spinning- 

 bait; it is but waste of time, therefore, to throw it in 

 such places, at such a time. 



" Trout are sometimes taken by persons who are fish- 

 ing for barbel with a lob-w r orm, which will always be 

 found a good bait where trout abound. But in the 

 Thames, where their visits are, unfortunately, like 

 angels' " few, and far between" very few persons 

 have the Job-like patience to fish for them in this way. 



" I have been in the habit of having my tackle from 

 Mr. Bowness, jun., of Bell-alley, Temple-bar, who has 

 fully entered into, and carefully carried out, my sugges- 

 tions and improvements, in the formation of the hook, 

 and in the construction of the tackle, best adapted for 

 this description of fish." 



If you are disposed to sport with trout in 

 the ordinary way of bottom-fishing, you may do so, 

 neither throwing the fly, nor spinning the minnow; and if 

 you mind well what you are about, you may have good 

 sport too. It is to be observed, however, that the 

 most successful way of bottom fishing for trout is what 

 Isaac Walton calls " angling by hand;" that is, without 

 a float, the bottom line being so shotted as to prevent 

 the stream carrying away your bait. The tackle should 

 be fine, the bait must roll along on the ground, and the 

 angler must take especial care to keep out of sight, and 

 to proceed as noiselessly and gently as possible. Do 

 not be in too great a hurry to strike when you think 

 you feel a bite. Wait until you feel the line tugged a 

 second or a third time, and then strike sharply, but 



