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The roach, the dace, the gudgeon, and various others, 

 all delight in small, well-scoured, bright-coloured worms ; 

 while the salmon, the trout, the jack, the perch, the eel, 

 &rc. are better enticed by a large bait, they not being so 

 remarkable for daintiness as the lesser classes. 



The carp is peculiarly fond of a small clean bait ; and, 

 though it grows to a good size, as does the chub, yet is 

 more easily caught with a moderate- sized Hood-worm, 

 than with one of a larger size, or of another kind. 



Perhaps the larlel may be an exception to this obser- 

 vation j for it 'has by no means a large mouth, yet is it ex- 

 tremely greedy of a large bait, which it delights to suck at. 



It is not very easy to fix a rule which should govern 

 in all instances ; but it may be tolerably correct to state, 

 that (with the exception of those large worms called 

 lobs, of which mention will be made when treating of 

 baits) the worm should rarely exceed one length and a 

 half of the whole measurement of the hook, going round 

 with the curve, or lend,, from butt to point. 



Very thin wiry worms do not answer well, as they 

 shew the hook, and do not allow fishes -to take the bait 

 into their mouths, so as to compress their teeth, nor even 

 their lips, without feeling the metal. 



Short, fat, elastic worms, which at times can stretch 

 out to a great length, and which writhe much, are by far 

 the best. 



Where fishes do not bite freely, or where, as is often 

 the case with carp, tench, and roach, they take hold only 

 of the pendant part of the worm, and seem to try how far 

 they may proceed in safety, it is best to have only one 

 worm, which should be little more than Ion* enough to 



O i O 



-cover the hook. 



c In 



