68 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 
geon is placed, in the presence of the Judge and 
jury, in the polluted water, and he does not ‘turn 
up,’ therefore the counsel argues that manufactories 
or the town sewer are not in fault, as the water 
allowed to flow into the river is not injurious to 
fish life. If an expert in fishery matters does not 
happen to be present, this gudgeon argument 
will go down, as the Judge and jury probably are 
not aware that gudgeon are very fond of living in 
sewer-water as long as it is just running, whereas 
the same water would be almost immediately 
fatal to a trout or young salmon. The tastiest 
gudgeon | ever caught were in a sewer which ran 
along the east side of the College meads at 
Winchester.” 
Enjoyable angling may be had with gudgeon, 
and the sport is of the most lively kind. Small red- 
worms are the best bait, with line well down; and 
if a shoal of fish have once been enticed round 
the delicate morsel there is no reason why every 
one should not be taken. They fight for the bait, 
and the fact of a silvery brother being suddenly 
jerked out of his element seems only to whet the 
appetite of the nextcomer. And yet there is con- 
siderable skill in gudgeon-fishing. The smaller 
fish are apt to toy with the bait, and often manage 
to disgorge it more quickly than the angler can 
strike after the float disappears. Although gud- 
