THE CARP OR TENCH. 157 



longer, before you undertake your trial of skill with the an- 



'd; and doubtless, if it be thrown into the water a day 



or two before, at several times, in small pellets, you are the 



likeliest, when you fish for carp, to attain your desired sport. 



" And if you fish for carp with gentles, then put upon 

 your hook a small piece of scarlet, the sixth of an inch square, 

 it being soaked in, or anointed with oil of petre, called by 

 some, oil of the rock; and if your gentles be put, two or 

 three days before, into a box anointed with honey, and so put 

 upon your hook as to preserve them to be living, you are as 

 like to kill this crafty fish this way as any other ; but still as 

 you are fishing, chew a little white or brown bread in your 

 mouth, and cast it into the pond about the place where your 

 float swims. Other baits there be : but these, with diligence 

 and patient watchfulness, will do it better than any that I 

 ever practised or heard of." 



Elaine has the following : " When the angling commences, 

 if possible, keep entirely out sight of the fish ; make no 

 noise; let the bait slide silently into the water; and try 

 their fancy for taking it at various depths, beginning with the 

 lowest. If rain falls lightly, the angler would do well to 

 pursue his practise during the whole day. Sometimes, also. 

 success will attend him through the whole of a gloomy day 

 without rain, but in general cases, during the hot months, it 

 la not possible to fish too early or too late for carp. In a 

 starlight or moonlight night of July, they have been taken 

 after the ' witching time ' even. 



" When the angler perceives abite, he must strike accord- 

 ing to the nature of his bait. If, for instance, in fishing with 

 a lob-worm, he were to strike the moment he felt the float 

 move, he would pull the worm out of the mouth of the carp, 

 who sucks in after the manner of a barbel. On the contrary, 

 if paste be employed, it is prudent to strike it on the slight- 

 est warning, otherwise the wary animal will suck away all 



