FISHING. 125 



ously, lying on the top of the water, ready for their prey. 

 Use no lead, but throw the bait gently across the sur- 

 face, and draw it back towards you : trout and chub are 

 dibbled for with a strong rod and a short line. 



When you are angling, use ground-baits made with 

 stale bread crumbled, or bran squeezed round a stone 

 and thrown in ; these should be put into the eddies, 

 where you intend to fish, a short time before. Strike 

 the water with your pole a few strokes, and it will bring 

 them. Trout are taken with a fly thrown and drawn 

 on the surface of the water, jerking with the rod, as if 

 it were skipping along. The flies should be made like 

 those you find in the different months, using a dark one 

 in a very bright day, and a light one in gloomy weather. 

 The best time for fly fishing is when there is a little 

 breeze, to make a small curl upon the water. Trout 

 will take a frog in rainy weather. When you take jacks 

 with flews, or by drawing water off, so as they are 

 unhurt, put those that are fit to kill into shallow water, 

 where you can take them with a sniggle ; pass it very 

 slowly down the water before the fish, draw it over his 

 gills, then with a sudden jerk you may throw him out. 

 If there should happen to be a curl upon the water when 

 you want a fish, pass a few drops of oil of amber down 

 the stream or wind, where you want to take him, and it 

 will, by causing a calm, enable you to see him. 



