FISHES AND FISHING. 33 



without shaking it, put your hand to your rod, and 

 in a second or two after, the float darts off ; then 

 firmly, but not violently, only with a mere turn of 

 your wrist, strike, and the struggle commences ; the 

 fish will endeavour to run in amongst roots of trees, 

 if there be any near, and if large, will put your skill 

 to the test. On the front of the dorsal or back fin, 

 the bone is like a sharp saw. When he is hooked, 

 he will make many very short turns in his endeavours 

 to escape ; and it is possible, that the line, from bad 

 management on the part of the angler, will, in some 

 instances, pass across this bone, and if so, will be 

 instantly severed. 



An angler should calmly watch the route the fish 

 he has hooked takes ; let him have more line as may 

 be absolutely necessary, and wind up whenever prac 

 ticable, with safety ; be in no haste to see the fish, 

 for many a good fish has been lost through the angler 

 throwing himself into a flurry ; and be cautious to 

 play yourfish away from the spot where he was hooked, 

 or other fish near will be driven away. This you 

 can easily do as soon as you strike him, probably in 

 consequence of the surprise the fish must experience, 

 at having his motions so suddenly controlled. 



I have had excellent sport in taking barbel, some 

 times from six to twenty in a day. The largest 

 I ever took, weighed above ten pounds ; and the 



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