a small piece of gut or line is knotted in the running line above the float, with the result that, of course, when the line is running downwards through the rings to this point, the float remains stationary. It is thus that the Nottingham fisher is enabled to make such long casts. As the line is drawn back out of the water, the float naturally slips down the line until it is stopped by the shot, and in this position forms an additional weight at the point where weight is most essential to enable a long cast to be made with ease. Having drawn in his line up to the 'sticking' point, i.e. the transverse piece of gut or quillwhich may be the length of his rod or even more above the float-he makes his cast to ten or twenty, or, perhaps, even twenty-five yards, as the case may be, and giving line freely, the shot carry the bait down to the bottom of the river or pond to the depth which has been already carefully plummed, leaving the float as usual on the surface. This is, however, only one of the two great advantages of this kind of float. The second is the fact that in striking the fish from whatever distances, especially long ones, the stroke has not to overcome the vis inertia of the float before it can reach the mouth of the fish. This is a point of great importance, and one without which fishing in the Nottingham style, that is, covering long reaches of water at great distances from the fisher. man, could not be successfully carried out. No. 6, the last float in the list, is probably still more entitled to be called extraordinary. It is called the 'electric-float,' and is supposed to be luminous NO. 6. at the top, so that in night fishing it is always readily perceptible. N.B.-I don't assert that the float actually fulfils these conditions, but they are the specialties claimed for it. What the object of the circular notch round the upper part of the cork may be, except to hold the little indiarubber ring now shown about half-an-inch above it, I am unable to explain, and if it is intended to hold it, I can furnish no explanation of why the ring should be placed at such an unusual part of the float, unless it be to make, so to speak, a higher stand for the lamp. Given, however, the fact that one can see the float in the dark, the next point that arises is whether the fish can see the bait, or if they can, are likely to bite at it at that part of the twenty-four hours. I must confess again to not having tried the experiment practically, and, therefore, in summing-up these few remarks on the 'electric-float,' all I can say is that if it is not 'true' it is at any rate 'new.' Besides the floats shown in the engravings, there is still another very useful kind of float which I had overlooked. It is made the lower part of porcupine and the upper of goose or swan quill. In consequence of the amount of air contained in the upper portion it is an excellent carrier of its size, and, therefore, worthy of an honourable place in the float-fisher's table of precedence. Another float, which, if not extraordinary, can certainly hardly be called ordinary, has recently been invented by Mr. Gillet, the well-known tackle-maker of Fetter Lane. It is a float which cocks itself, and is called 'Gillet's self-cocking float.' It is strongly recommended by Mr. Greville Fennell in his 'Book of the Roach.' After stating his fruitless efforts to circumvent the roach of certain ponds, he says: We then bethought us to imitate as nearly as possible the action of the slow descending particles of loose ground-bait thrown in to allure the fish and instead of using a shotted line, which sank rapidly, and consequently unnaturally reaches the bottom long before the ground-bait, we removed all the shot, and placing sufficient in the quill, we found we had achieved a success, as it permitted the bait to sink by its own gravity. The effect was immediate and decided. This method is wonderfully destruc tive zo dace when the house-fly is used. This float is weighted so as to swim the proper depth as weighted by the line, hook, and bait, 'when' says the gentle man who describes it, it may be regulated to detect the finest bite.' This writer also says that he has been very successful with it in mill tails amongst the dace, baited with a single gentle or red-worm, when with the ordinary shotted float he could not succeed in catching them. The self-cocking apparatus consists of a drop or two of quicksilver enclosed in the end of the transparent tapered quill. The object of this is to dispense with the SHOT OR LEAD WIRE, which latter, intended not only to cock the float, but also to carry the bait to the bottom, are best used large rather than numerous and, with the exception of the lowest one, distributed, in pond fishing, as far away from the bait as possible. In river fishing it is necessary to get the bait quickly to the bottom and to keep the current from lifting it off again. Consequently it becomes necessary to get the shot somewhat closer together on the lower part of the line. The shot should be heavy enough to submerge the float up to the, as I may call it, high water mark, generally about three-quarters of the way up, but in many cases the float swims better and bites can be more readily perceived when the float is sunk rather over the mark in question. Some float-fishers instead of using split shot, with the annoyance of having to bite them on with your teeth when they have to be attached, and cut them out with your penknife at the risk of the line when they have to be detached, use a soft leaden wire, the invention, I believe, and, at any rate, manufacture of the Manchester Cotton Spinning Co., 51 Corporation Street, Manchester, which can be coiled with great facility round the line with the fingers and uncoiled again as soon as it is wished to alter the 'swim of the float,' or the float itself. An illustration of the wire coiled on gut line is annexed.1 1 The actual leaden wire, of which samples have been furnished to me by the Company, is about as thick as the finest twine. It is sold by them in hanks or knots of 15 yards, price one shilling the hank. The Manchester Company has This fine wire is, however, more suitable for fine tackle and very light fishing than for floats requiring to be heavily leaded. The piece of lead coil represented is about equal to two No. 4 shot, and would cock a porcupine quill float about half as long again as No. 4. For very light tackle it has however, I think, several advantages, one of which is that there is no danger of nipping the line, as is the case with shot which have been squeezed tightly on. All that is necessary to coil the wire is to lay a pin parallel with the gut, twisting the wire round both; and then, after withdrawing the pin tightening the coils as much as requisite by twisting them with the finger and thumb. To return after the float naturally comes : THE PLUMMET, LEAD-WIRE FOR WEIGHT- which is essential to ascertain the depth of the water and the distance from the bottom (or on the bottom, as the case may be) at which it is desired that the bait should travel. The best of the old-fashioned plummets is simply a sheet of soft lead wound round the line above the hook in the position shown in the engraving (fig. 1). An improvement upon it was, however, exhibited last year by Mr. Thomas Hines, of Norwich. The action of it will be under also sent me samples of a very fine soft copper wire for lapping over pike tackle, finishing off top ring fastenings, &c., and other analogous purposes. They have been for many years manufacturing a superfine 'thrown silk,' as contrasted with 'floss' silk, on the one hand and sewing silk on the other, for whipping hooks, flies, &c. An immense comfort will be found in tackle-making, from the use of this silk, which, though exceedingly fine is strong enough to admit of considerable strain without breaking. The finest and purest silk of all, however, is that used by the gold twist makers of Little Britain, London, in their manufacture of gold lace for buttons, uniforms, &c. For 'waxing' this and other kinds of silk, a very small piece of cobblers' wax about as big as a No. 1 shot and rolled between the finger and thumb will be found a great convenience. When used in larger lumps it is difficult, especially in cold weather, to keep it at the necessary temperature. stood by a glance at the illustrative diagram (fig. 2). The thumb being pressed upon the point b, the loop, a, is pushed upwards by a spring, the hook passed through in the position shown, and kept afterwards in its place by the downward action of the liberated spring. A ROD REST. A desideratum which will add greatly to the comfort both of the bank and punt fisher, has been lately patented by Messrs. C. L. Matthews & Co., No. 1A Wynyatt Street, St. John Street Road, London, E.C., under the name of the 'Adjustable Fishing Rod Holder.' This invention, of which diagrams are appended, is obtainable from Messrs. Matthews, wholesale and retail. The rod holder in black iron costs Is. 6d. ; the boat clip, the same; or better finished and nickel plated twice as much. Fig. 1 shows the rod holder as it would appear when stuck upright in the bank. Fig. 2, the same stuck in a perpendicular bank. Fig. 3, the boat clip, by which it can be fixed to the side of the punt. Fig. 4 shows the adjustment of the boat clip with the rod holders in position. The inventor claims the following advantages amongst others for his rod holder : |