176 COARSE FISH. 



disturbance as possible when throwing in. I am 

 indebted to " A. R. M.," of the Sportsman, for the 

 suggestion of a spiral strip of lead. A thin, flat 

 strip of lead is rolled up somewhat in the form of a 

 screw thread, leaving a little room between the 

 edges of the turns, just sufficient for the gut-cast 

 to pass through, which makes the lead detachable, 

 though it stops on the shot in the same way: as a 

 bullet or corking lead. The lead strip has this 

 advantage, it will hold a good lump of groundbait 

 squeezed around it, and also keeps wonderfully 

 steady. As usual, strike directly a bite is felt, 

 except when baiting with a large worm. In leger- 

 ing for roach, the bait should be near the lead ; a 

 foot away from it is plenty, particularly if the lead 

 be covered with groundbait. 



When fishing with the travelling, or drifting, float, 

 Long very long swims may be fished and the fish 

 swims properly hooked ; but the floats must be 

 thin, and the strike carried well back, a gentle lift of 

 the rod being of little use. The wrist-strike is hardly 

 sufficient when twenty or thirty yards of line have 

 to be picked off the water, however straight the 

 line may rest on it. Above all things, take care 

 that your running line floats : a sunken line drags 

 the float down instead of up when the strike is 

 made, and the fish are not " hit " properly. Thames 

 fishermen usually make the mistake of not fishing 

 far enough away ; about twice the length of the rod 

 covers the ordinary length of the puntsman's swim ; 

 the bait is drawn back just when it begins to fish 

 properly ; and large roach will seldom come near a 

 punt for a long while after two great rypeck irons 

 have been driven into the bed of the river. In the 

 Thames, the punts are placed at right angles 



