ii8 COARSE FISH 



the gut well before tying any knots. The loop, 

 when pulled taut, will not slip below the knot 

 on the main, or lead-line. Indeed, the doubled 

 gut makes two loops on the main line, and with a 

 little care one of these may be placed above the 

 knot, and the other below it, when the hook will 

 refuse to slip along the line in either direction. In 

 paternostering, two or three hooks may be used, 

 the lowest fixed six inches above the lead, the 

 others at intervals of nme to twelve inches. Throw 

 the tackle out, letting the lead sink to the bottom ; 

 lift the rod and keep a taut line without lifting or 

 dragging the lead ; the bites are not seen, but are 

 easily felt. If no bite is felt after a minute or two, 

 draw the lead a foot or two nearer, or make a fresh 

 throw ; search the water as thoroughly as possible ; 

 and do not forget to allow a little time before 

 striking. Pike are frequently caught when pater- 

 nostering for perch with minnows or small gudgeon, 

 and the angler should always be prepared for a tussle 

 with a pike, though it often ends disastrously, the 

 fine gut being bitten through. If a pike be landed, 

 exanliine the gut carefully ; and if it is at all 

 scratched or frayed, the hook should be renewed. 

 Paternoster tackle is very handy for fishing deep 

 eddies, or places obstructed with woodwork of any 

 kind, as the lead can be dropped into quite a small, 

 clear place. A fourteen or fifteen-foot rod is often 

 useful for paternostering from the bank, the extra 

 length enabling the angler to drop the lead quietly 

 into difficult places. Flowing water tends to pre- 

 vent the baits tangling themselves round the main 

 line, the drag of water on the bait keeping it clear. 

 Lowering the tackle slowly will also prevent a good 

 deal of tangling. A float is seldom used with 



