FLOAT FISHING— TACKLE. 217 



about half-an-inch above it, I am unable to explain, and if it 

 is intended to hold it, I can furnish no explanation of why the 

 ring should be placed at such an unusual part of the float, 

 unless it be to make, so to speak, a higher stand for the lamp. 



Given, however, the fact that one can see the float in the 

 dark, the next point that arises is whether the fish can see the 

 bait, or if they can, are hkely to bite at it at that part of the 

 twenty-four hours. I must confess again to not having tried 

 the experiment practically, and, therefore, in summing-up these 

 few remarks on the ' electric-float,' all I can say is that if it is 

 not ' true ' it is at any rate ' new.' 



Besides the floats shown in the engravings, there is still 

 another very useful kind of float which I had overlooked. It is 

 made the lower part of porcupine and the upper of goose or 

 swan quill. In consequence of the amount of air contained in 

 the upper portion it is an excellent carrier of its si'.e, and, 

 therefore, worthy of an honourable place in the float-fisher's 

 table of precedence. 



Another fioat, which, if not extraordinary, can certainly 

 hardly be called ordinary, has recently been invented by Mr. 

 Gillet, the well-known tackle-maker of Fetter Lane. It is a 

 float which cocks itself, and is called ' Gillet's self-cocking float.' 

 It is strongly recommended by Mr. Greville Fennell in his 

 ' Book of the Roach.' After stating his fruitless efforts to cir- 

 cumvent the roach of certain ponds, he says : — 



We then bethought us to imitate as nearly as possible the 

 action of the slow descending particles of loose ground-bait thrown 

 in to allure the fish and instead of using a shotted line, which sank 

 rapidly, and consequently unnaturally reaches the bottom long 

 before the ground-bait, we removed all the shot, and placing suf- 

 ficient in the quill, we found we had achieved a success, as it 

 permitted the bait to sink by its own gravity. The effect was 

 immediate and decided. . . . This method is wonderfully destruc- 

 tive to dace when the house-fly is used. 



This float is weighted so as to swim the proper depth as 

 ' weighted by the line, hook, and bait, ' when ' says the gentle- 



