328 



Let us suppose, that a perch should seize your live tail 

 suspended to a cork float, and carry it down : as, in such 

 case, time must be given for the fish to gorge, or swal- 

 low the bait, it follows, that your line must be slackened, 

 or be eventually let out from the reel, so judiciously, as 

 not to allow the perch to feel any check while in the act 

 of swallowing. Here little more than a sudden stop to 

 your compliance with the perch's motion, is needful to 

 arrest his progress - } and indeed, on most occasions of 

 this kind, it is best to feel, as it were, first, whether the 

 bait were gorged (which is done by the above means), 

 and if you find it to be so, which the heavy bearing of 

 the perch will sufficiently indicate, then a very slight 

 turn, in such direction as may be the reverse to that in 

 which he is proceeding, will have the desired effect. 



The learner must not suppose that any time is lost in 

 such operations : they follow as quick as thought j and 

 their appropriate adaptation to the moment, not only de- 

 cides the fate of the fish, but the ability of the angler ! 



Many fishes must be struck at the least nibble, while 

 others must have some seconds allowed them. One 

 will take the float scarcely half nn inch under water be- 

 fore he has the bait fairly in his mouth ; while another 

 \vill merely take a slight hold of some pendent part, and 

 carry the float one or two feet, or more, under water ; 

 in such case, they are sometimes hooked on the outside 

 of their mouths. 



J c is not easy to lay down a fixed rule on this point ; for 

 the same sorts of fish during the same day, and in the 

 same waters, will so vary in their modes of biting, as ab- 

 solutely to bewilder the most experienced angler. The 



manner 



