58 HINTS ON ANGLING. 



and piles, or about sunken trees or old timber. In these 

 sorts of places the larger fish are generally to be found ; and 

 as the barbel dreads alike fiery heats or extreme cold, he 

 commonly lies near the bottom, and haunts the deepest 

 parts of the stream. 



The barbel is gregarious, and is to be found in many of 

 the rivers of England; but the Trent and the Thames are 

 perhaps better supplied with this fish than any other 

 British streams. 



Stories have been told of the barbel having attained 

 a weight of fifteen or twenty pounds ; but these are in- 

 stances of very, very rare occurrence, as he seldom exceeds 

 eight or ten pounds ; and even this is deemed a very large 

 size and by no means usual. These fish spawn early in 

 June. Walton says in April; but perhaps they vary ac- 

 cording to seasons and situations. They deposit their eggs 

 on the surface of stones in the narrowest and most rapid 

 parts of the stream. Walton says they burrow under the 

 stones to deposit their eggs ; but for once Walton is perhaps 

 wrong 



The barbel, it is supposed by some authors, never casts 

 spawn until in his fifth or sixth year. 



The barbel is a long-lived fish. His flesh is white and 

 delicate in appearance; and, when cooked according to the 

 receipt for stewing tench and carp, he is not altogether the 

 most despicable of all fish, and might perhaps be eaten by 

 a very hungry man. 



He will live four or five hours after he has been taken 

 out of the water. This fish is supposed to possess the 

 peculiar power of causing the water to bubble up on the 

 surface above his head, when he makes his respirations. 

 The eel is also believed to exhibit the same faculty; but 

 as these air-bubbles may be accounted for in a more satis- 



