1 66 The Complete Angler 



and a cunning fish ; so lusty and cunning as to en- 

 danger the breaking of the angler's line, by running 

 his head forcibly towards any covert, or hole, or 

 bank, and then striking at the line, to break it off, 

 with his tail ; as is observed by Plutarch, in his 

 book De Industrie!, Animalium : and also so cunning, 

 to nibble and suck off your worm close to the hook, 

 and yet avoid the letting the hook come into his 

 mouth. 



The Barbel is also curious for his baits ; that is 

 to say, that they be clean and sweet ; that is to say, 

 to have your worms well scoured, and not kept in 

 sour and musty moss, for he is a curious feeder : 

 but at a well-scoured lob-worm he will bite as 

 boldly as at any bait, and specially if, the night 

 or two before you fish for him, you shall bait the 

 places where you intend to fish for him, with big 

 worms cut into pieces. And note, that none did 

 ever over-bait the place, nor fish too early or too 

 late for a Barbel. And the Barbel will bite also 

 at gentles, which, not being too much scoured, but 

 green, are a choice bait for him : and so is cheese, 

 which is not to be too hard, but kept a day or two 

 in a wet linen cloth, to make it tough; with this 

 you may also bait the water a day or two before 

 you fish for the Barbel, and be much the likelier to 

 catch store ; and if the cheese were laid in clarified 

 honey a short time before, as namely, an hour or 

 two, you were still the likelier to catch fish. Some 

 have directed to cut the cheese into thin pieces, and 

 toast it ; and then tie it on the hook with fine silk. 

 And some advise to fish for the Barbel with sheep's 

 tallow and soft cheese, beaten or worked into a 

 paste ; and that it is choicely good in August : and 

 I believe it. But, doubtless, the lob-worm well 

 scoured, and the gentle not too much scoured, and 

 cheese ordered as I have directed, are baits enough, 



