36 FISHES AND FISHING. 



water of the navigation being drawn down, the im 

 mense number of empty shells, evinces the correctness 

 of this opinion. Barbel are best in season the latter 

 end of summer, before the weather gets too cold, as 

 they then retire, if they can, into brackish water, or 

 deep holes. It is a very pleasant way of angling for 

 them with a large float, where the bank is excavated 

 under ; let your bait be within half an inch of the 

 bottom ; bait with maiden lob worms, or three or 

 four gentles, or chandlers' greaves, broken into pieces, 

 in cold water, then put on the fire and allowed to 

 simmer up once ; select the fine white pieces. 



These fish spawn in April or May, each female 

 giving out from seven to eight thousand ova, or eggs, 

 which vivify in nine or ten days, as it is said, but I 

 do not believe that any egg vivifies in so short a time, 

 it being proved salmon take ninety-four days ; the 

 parent fish recover in about six weeks, and are in 

 prime season the latter end of July, August, Septem 

 ber, and if fine, to the middle of October. In fishing 

 with a float, strike the moment it is pulled under ; in 

 angling with a ledger bait, a large round, or oval 

 bullet is better than the flat leads, because the former 

 rolls about, and by keeping the bait moving, attracts 

 the fish sooner. 



If in ledger fishing you feel your rod shake once, 

 you seldom hook the fish, though you strike ever so 



