248 ON SURREY HILLS. 



the kind ! As I have before stated, different waters 

 require different methods. This is ours here : a stiff 

 light rod twelve feet long, a good gut-line — we mean 

 by that stout, not fine-drawn, with a small perch-hook 

 whipped on ; for float, one of my own make, the size 

 and shape of a large acorn, with a slit in the middle 

 for the line to run through. The line is not shotted 

 above the hook-length ; to the gut-length some fine 

 silk twist line is attached. When the line is placed 

 through the loop of the top joint, the surplus line is 

 wound round one of the forefingers. Then from the 

 moss we take a dew-worm and place him on the hook, 

 whole — not the tail of him pinched off. We throw in 

 slowly ; the float travels down ; slowly the current 

 takes it to the side of the crumbling bank on the 

 opposite side to our standing, and then something 

 stops it. That acorn-shaped cork makes two little 

 jerks on the surface, as a small mouse jerks along 

 when he comes out for crumbs — stands on end for one 

 moment and then goes right away. Snick ! we have 

 him, and the bend of the rod tells us that he is a good 

 one. He is grassed and others follow, but we stop 

 at three pairs, for there is a vast deal of difference 

 between sport and slaughter. The roach, when large, 



