be light, strong, and plain. By some anglers the multiplying winch is considered the best; it may be so in theory, but practically it is worthless. It certainly enables the angler to draw out his line quicker, and also to "reel up" in less time; but with a heavy fish at the end of the line it is next to impossible to do so. The best winch, be assured, is that of a large diameter, but having its plates not more than 1 inches apart, and, instead of a crank, having a friction-plate with a handle at its extreme edge, as shown in the engraving.

For pike and perch fishing perhaps the Nottingham reel is as good as any, the reel itself being turned out of one solid piece of hard wood.

Three or four CORK and QUILL FLOATS, of various sizes, which may be purchased at the tackle shops. The small cork floats are the best for jack, perch, and chub fishing; but for carp, roach, dace, gudgeon fishing, &c., the quill floats (numbered 4 and 5 in the engraving) or the small cork float (numbered 6) will be found the most useful.

The PLUMMET is another most useful and almost indispensable article. It is used to ascertain the depth of the water when bottom fishing. There are two kinds in ordinary use, perhaps equally good; but the folding plummet (Fig. 9) is perhaps the most simple, as it is only necessary to unfold a small portion of it, insert the line, and fold it up again. In the other, the hook is passed through the brass ring at the top (A, Fig. 9), and its point stuck into the piece of cork which is inserted into the bottom of the plummet at B.

The PANNIER or CREEL (Fig. 10) is made of wickerwork, and may be had of all sizes at the tackle shops; the French, perhaps, being the best, as they

are so much better shaped, and are much lighter. The engraving, however, is of one of the ordinary kind

made in this country. If fitted with a staple top and brass plate, so as to admit of a small padlock being used, they are handy things to put odds and ends in, such as fishing-book, reel, floats, &c. Some anglers prefer a bag or havresack made of waterproof cloth (Fig. 11). It is certainly a most useful article. It should be about 20 or 21 in. long and 12 in. deep, fitted with a flap and two buttons (as shown in Fig. 11.) It is a good plan to have a division or second bag in the in

side, as so many requisites may be carried in it, even to a change of linen on an emergency. It should be fitted with rings or buckles, so that the shoulder-straps may be taken on or off at pleasure.

FIG. II.

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The DRAG-HOOK (Fig. 12) is sometimes used (but it is an awkward instrument) for clearing the line from weeds, boughs of trees, &c. The CLEARING-RING (Fig. 13) is much handier, and for that reason is more generally adopted. A piece of cord is fastened to the upper end; it is then slipped over the line, which guides it to the obstruction; and by pulling the cord, the hook, line, &c., may be dislodged.

FIG. 12.

FIG. 13.

The DISGORGER (Fig. 14) is another useful article, its object being to dislodge a hook from a fish's mouth: it may be made of metal or ivory. The forked end is placed against the bend of the hook, and then pressed until the hook is released from its hold.

The GAFF is simply a large fish-hook made to fit into the handle of your landing-net, or, if preferred, having a handle for itself. Its use is to land a large fish by simply plunging it into the fish and dragging him bodily ashore.

The LANDING-NET (Fig. 15) must be included in the list of an angler's necessaries. The ring should be made of jointed brass, as it is then more easily packed A FLY-RETRIEVER (Fig. 16) should be fitted to the handle. This instrument is made sharp on the inner edge, in order to cut twigs, weeds, &c., in which your hooks may get entangled. The net itself should be made in small meshes, sufficiently so to enable you to catch minnows with it, and it thus serves a double purpose.

The ANGLER'S POCKET-BOOK (Fig. 17) contains various small articles which are in constant use, such as pliers, scissors, knife, floats, wax, gut, hair,

thread, string, spare hooks, traces, &c. There are various patterns which may be had in all sizes at the tackle shops.

The MINNOW or LIVE-BAIT KETTLE (Fig. 18) should be of tin, and fitted with straps to go over the shoulder. It should have a second lid, and a small

hand-net should be used to take out the bait, as nothing is so injurious to them as putting a warm hand amongst them. This, too, may be purchased of any size at the tackle shops.

A tin BAIT-Box for gentles, worms, &c.

No workman, you are aware, can work well without good tools, no matter what his trade may be; and on the same principle good tackle is essential to good sport in fishing. In choosing a rod, see that it is perfectly straight when all the joints are put together, and that it is not too pliable, or many a good fish may be lost in striking; let it also be perfectly taper from the butt to the point.

The running-line should be of plaited silk, and in choosing one, see that it is perfectly round and even, which may be proved by passing it between the finger and thumb, allowing the thumb-nail to rest on its surface; and discard any line which has any uneven places or bumps in it, as it is apt, if it have them, to catch in the rings on the rod, and may cost you the loss of a fish and perhaps of the line itself and the point of your rod.

In choosing gut, see that it is perfectly round, of an equal thickness, transparent, and smooth. If tried with the teeth, it should feel almost like wire. The kind of hook we prefer is certainly the Kirby for general fishing.

We will now suppose that one of our young friends has arrived at the riverside and is about to commence a day's sport. First let him fasten his reel to the butt of his rod, and draw the line through the two rings fixed upon it; then attach the second joint, and draw the line through the rings in the same manner, and so on to the top joint. This is a far better plan than the ordinary way generally adopted of putting the rod together first and drawing the line through the rings afterwards, as the rod is so very apt to be strained. A few yards of the running-line must then be drawn from the reel, and put carefully through the rings until about 2 feet of it are through the ring at the extreme point of the rod, taking care that in passing it through the rings the line has not been twisted round the rod, which would, of course, prevent its running freely. The gut or hair line must then be fastened to the running-line, which should have a loop for the purpose. When this is done, the float should be attached by first passing the line through the cap of the float and then through the ring at the bottom of it, so that when the float is moved up the line to give the depth required, the cap may be placed over the top of the float, and it of course remains fixed in that position; the gut length, with sufficient shot to sink the bait and cause the float to stand in the water in an upright position, must then be attached to the end of the line. We may here remark that it is a good plan to test the floats as to the number of shot they require at home in a tub of water, or in a pond should one be at hand, so that this may not have to be done at the river-side before commencing fishing; and it is as well to mark each float with the number of shot it requires to keep it in its right position. The next step is to plumb the depth accurately by fastening the plummet to the hook and letting it sink in the water as gently as possible, avoiding letting it fall suddenly and splashing. If the float has been placed too high upon the line, as soon as the plummet has reached the bottom the float will fall on its side and remain on the water; if, on the contrary, it has been placed too low on the line, the plummet will, of course, sink it beneath the surface, so that in either case it can be easily regulated. If the line be allowed to remain with the plummet attached a few minutes in the water before the hook is baited it is all the better, as it then becomes soft and straight, instead of being in coils.

The foregoing remarks apply to fishing for every kind of fish, and we now propose to offer a few hints as regards each sort of fish, with its description, haunts, season, &c., and the most approved methods of taking it, in, we hope, such a clear and concise manner as cannot fail to be perfectly understood by our young friends.

We do not propose to give any directions about the salmon, as that noble fish is an inhabitant of comparatively few of our rivers, and requires far more skill and knowledge of the art of angling than our young friends could hope to aspire to. We shall, therefore, commence with a fish which is almost as much sought after, and for its size is quite as "game," and affords as much sport as its larger neighbour- we allude to

THE TROUT.

This is one of the most beautiful of fresh-water fish, and is most justly esteemed for the table when in season. The whole of the lower part of the body is of a silvery brightness, gradually assuming a dark greenish-brown colour on the sides and back, and covered with bright pink spots irregularly scattered over its whole length. The trout sometimes reaches the weight of