250 NOBBS'S ART OF TROLLING. 



him leave to lay hold of the bait ; for lie will often 

 shoot from the farthest sides, at a great distance, being 

 so quick-sighted in the water. When you have got 

 your bait near the bank, then play it longer there .-first 

 deep, for the deeper you fish the better, especially in 

 cold weather ; afterwards rise it higher and higher, by 

 degrees, till you see it, and then you may often have 

 the pleasure of seeing him take the bite: now you may 

 assure yourself, if the proverb hold true, that seeing is 

 believing. 



There are indeed some sort of weeds and the stream 

 together, which may often give encouragement by pro. 

 mising sport and performing none : they will sometimes 

 go exactly imitafe a real bite, that an old and experi- 

 enced fisherman may be mistaken with all his craft and 

 cunning. The best way then to be sure, is to pull your 

 line gently till you come to feel it, and if it be a fish, 

 the moving of the bait will make him more eager, he 

 will then strike out and gorge it ; whereas if he lies 

 still, he would very probably leave it. When you have 

 raised your bait so high towards the top, within two or 

 three feet, that you can perceive it glisten, you may 

 then comfort yourself with the hopes of a Pike that 

 may rise at it, as he often does, and therefore it is not 

 prudent to be too hasty in taking out the bait. 



When a Pike is once stirred, he will lie as it were 

 watching for the bait, and catch greedily at it, if he 

 does not see you ; therefore you must be careful to 

 keep a little distance from the bank, for they will often 

 take it at the very top, and sometimes leap out of the 

 water at it; but they are then commonly so frightened 

 that they will not be courted to bite any more. You 

 may fish as close as you will, the ugh it is not material 

 whether you throw two or three times in one place ; 

 for he is so hungry, that he usually embraces the first 

 opportunity to lay hold. 



Some troll with great corks and floats ; it may do 

 best with the ledger-bait, though I never approved of 

 that way ; for the weeds will make the float dance ex. 

 actly as a Pike, except he bite very greedily, and so 



