224 ARMING GUT FOR BOTTOM-FISHING. 



tion of the end of 4 the shank to be exposed will 

 prevent, your bait from slipping below it and so ex- 

 posing the whipping of your hook. In general 

 hooks are whipped on too clumsily, with too many 

 coils of the silk, and with the silk too fatly waxed. 

 Bait hooks have commonly a few nicks made with 

 a file or otherwise towards the ends of the shanks. 

 The whipping need hardly extend beyond them 

 at either end. The gut should be softened and 

 thinned by drawing between the front teeth. I 

 mean the small portion of it that is to be whipped 

 on to the shank of the hook. 



Floats should be of moderate size. There are 

 thousands made ever so much too large and too 

 heavy. I cannot fancy the use of them. Heavy 

 floats may be used in barbel fishing, but are not 

 absolutely necessary except when sinking and 

 roving with a live bait for pike. In general I 

 prefer cork floats to quill floats. The latter I 

 never use except for roach fishing. A neat, small- 

 sized cork float is handy, sits well in the water, 

 and is sufficiently light to give you instantaneous 

 information of a bite. For my own part I fre- 

 quently fish without a float at all, with a lightly 

 leaded line, and seldom miss striking at a bite. 

 The best bottom-fishers fish for trout, grayling, 

 perch, dace, and even for roach, with a tripping 

 bait without a float. They are quick and sensi- 

 tive enough to see and feel a bite without the 



