NOTTINGHAM ANGLING 45 



point of the rod until it slightly inclines from the thigh towards 

 the surface of the water, and follows the float (with neither 

 too free nor too tight a line) with the point of the rod until 

 the float has all the line he can give from the rod-point with 

 it down-stream. Now comes the nicer part of the operation, 

 and that is to give off line from the reel so lightly and con- 

 tinuously that it shall run freely through the rings and never 

 check the swim of the float. This is done by keeping the reel 

 turning fast or slow in exact accordance with the requirements 

 of the stream, working it by quick, short touches from a left- 

 hand finger on the edge or circumference of the wheel. 



If, in going down the swim, the angler finds that it deepens 

 off very much, or that there is too much of a rise or hill, or 

 that the bottom is foul, he has nothing for it but to choose 

 another swim. 



Supposing that he has at length found a swim sufficiently 

 level throughout and to his mind, he then breaks up four or 

 five worms into very small pieces and throws them in well 

 above the swim, calculating carefully whereabouts they are 

 likely to ground ; and here again is a point that requires 

 practice and judgment, because if thrown in too high up the 

 stream the bait grounds too soon, and the fish are drawn up 

 out of the swim. If too low, then the reverse happens. The 

 great object is to fish over your ground-bait ; and for this 

 purpose you must observe not only the latitude of the swim, 

 but the longitude also. There is a great deal more in this 

 than many suppose ; and many an indifferent day's sport has 

 no doubt been ascribed to any other cause but the right one, 

 in consequence of neglect or miscalculation of this important 

 point. Having ascertained that the bottom of the swim is 

 tolerably clear of obstruction, and thrown in bait, etc., the 

 angler commences his swim, but first it may happen that the 

 swim he has selected is some two rods' lengths from the 

 shore (roach and dace swims are seldom more, though barbel, 

 of course, will lie in the heavier streams, more towards the 

 centre of the river). Now, suppose the angler's swim to be, 

 let us say, twenty feet from the spot he stands on ; the length 

 of his rod being twelve or thirteen feet, he may take nine or 

 ten feet for the rod, or perhaps a little less ; the depth of the 

 water is five feet ; so that, supposing his bait to hang at the 

 full length of the rod which is as much line as he will be 

 able to swing out, and probably more his float will be some 

 half-way up the rod, and there will be but five feet of line to 



