THE GUDGEON. 315 



not. It is his business to know them, and as a rule he is 

 as anxious to show you a good day's sport as you are to 

 enjoy one. He has an eye to the "recompense of 

 reward," as that money -loving prophet of old, and if you 

 have a good day, you are inclined to give him a little 

 more than the " legal fare " at the end of it ; and, more- 

 over, you will probably leave some dozens of gudgeon in 

 the well of his punt, for which he can always get a half- 

 penny apiece in some neighbouring town or at some 

 waterside hotel. 



As to your tackle. This, of course, should be light, 

 but not too light, for otherwise you are at the end of 

 your swim too soon. A fairly heavy float travels more 

 steadily than a light one, and therefore is properly sen- 

 sitive of a bite ; moreover, it admits of heavier shotting, 

 which gets your bait more quickly to the bottom. The 

 hook should- be moderately small, and the smaller the 

 bait on the better, as our little- friend then "takes it at 

 once, instead of amusing himself by sucking it. Tour 

 depth should be so regulated that the bait is not abso- 

 lutely clear of the ground, and at the same time does not 

 drag. It should be between the two, and for want of a 

 better term it should "trip" along the bottom as it 

 travels down the swim. The running line should be fine, 

 and the lighter the rod the more enjoyable is gudgeon- 

 fishing, because it enables you to make the most of your 

 tiny prey in feeling the play he gives you. It is best to 

 have a rod exclusively for this sport ; one of the pretty 

 little 10 oz. rods which I mentioned on page 108, or a 

 cheap Japanese rod, which is lighter still, but requires to 

 be supplemented with rings and reel fittings. Yet re- 

 member that after all your tackle should be strong 



