ISi 



Iii such cases you have only to keep a tight line, aru! 

 prevent his running among weeds. 



With respect to the choice of snap or gorging hooks, 

 you must be regulated entirely by the season of the year, 

 and by the waters in which the fishes toy. 



During the basking seasons, the jacks are very shy 

 so far as relates to pouching, therefore the snap tackle is 

 then indispensable j it. is also proper where you cannot 

 venture your line beyond a very limited length j for 

 instance, where you dip with a dead-l-ait, or have a live- 

 bait with a float, in small open breaks, at places whore 

 the surface is generally covered with docks, wattfr, lay, 

 &c. in such waters you would not act prudently in giving 

 much line j but if the season be appropriate in other n-s- 

 pccts to the gorging system, you may allow ajitlle more 

 time before you strike, than you would in the basking 

 reasons. 



When you see a great number of very small bubbles 

 rising fn m the spot where you know, by the direction 

 of your line, the jack is laying, you should forbear from 

 striking ; it being a certain sign that he has not pouched 

 your bait. J request the reader to refer to that chapter 

 which treats " of bullies in the -irater," for a full dis- 

 cussion of this point. 



Jacks will sometimes take down the ivater-rat -, but, 

 whether owing to the resistance that animal makes, 

 which I have witnessed to be very tierce (and that too 

 tinder the water), or that the hair or the scent dis- 

 pleases, I know not, however it does not appear they are 

 very partial to that quadruped. I have repeatedly seen 

 the rats pass such jacks as were obviously on the alert, 

 and of a good size too, \v ithout being attacked ; though 



the 



