THE CARP FAMILY. 107 



ceived, do not strike until the float begins to move away. It 

 constantly happens, however, that the Carp will not be taken 

 either by this or any other mode of fishing with which I 

 am acquainted ; but if he is to be caught at all, it is thus. 



The baits for Carp are, worms, gentles, greaves, grains, 

 and various sorts of pastes, of which, however, I believe the 

 plain white bread-crumb paste is the best, as well as the 

 most easily made. About midsummer a little honey may 

 be added. The above baits either simply, or mixed with 

 clay, or bran, or both, according to the nature of the pond 

 or current will form a good ground-bait, which should be 

 thrown in over night on the spot where it is intended to 

 fish. A few gentles, or bits of chewed bread, occasionally 

 added when fishing, are generally advantageous. 



It is curious that this ground-baiting should have been 

 practised more than sixteen hundred years ago ; it is de- 

 scribed by Oppian, who says that the paste was made with 

 scented cheese and flour, which was divided into little pellets 

 and scattered in by the fisherman to attract the fish. 



A singular expedient for catching Carp is suggested by 

 Mr. Fitzgibbon in his ' Notes to Walton/ ( ' A correspond- 

 ent," he says, " not long since wrote to me for advice. He 

 had a pond in which were many large Carp ; and although 

 he had angled for them in due season from February 

 to October during seven years, he had not succeeded in 

 capturing them. I advised him to line with hurdles the 

 bank of the pond at the spots where he meant to fish- 

 to ground-bait those spots with red worms, gentles, and 



