66 BOTTOM FISHING. 



is pitched well out to an open space on the water s 

 surface. The prospects of sport are improved when 

 the surface is covered with weeds, as the rodster's 

 movements and person are thus obscured. When a 

 bite is indicated, an interval of a few seconds, varying 

 according to circumstances, must be given before 

 striking ; a safe signal is the attempt to carry away 

 the bait ; the fish has it then within his jaws, and a 

 sharp strike may be given by the time it has pro- 

 gressed a couple of feet or so. In clear open stand- 

 ing water it is essential that the angler should keep as 

 much out of sight, and as stationary upon the bank 

 as possible ; an intervening bush or tree trunk may 

 serve as an admirable cover to operate from. 



There is an endless variety of baits used for carp, 

 particularly of pastes, which range from a compound 

 of honey and sugar, to bread and bran. From our 

 own personal experience, we cannot commend them as 

 being generally efficient, though we have occasionally 

 found them taking, but when a particular kind of 

 bait has been much used, a change is often effective. 



TENCH are generally coupled with carp by fisher- 

 men, which may be owing to the similarity of dispo- 

 sition, both being, generally speaking, found together 

 in the same water. Tench are, however, often the 

 solitary tenants of some small pond, and when this 

 is the case they, unlike the carp, very seldom show 

 themselves, but are given to " forage " in and about 

 the mud bottom. The presence of these fish would 

 scarcely ever be discovered, even in very confined 

 waters, when the fact is not known. They are very 



