THE COMPLETE ANGLER, 22/ 



ill effect upon them, even to the endangering of 

 their lives. 



This fish is of a fine cast and handsome shape, 

 with small scales, which are placed after a most 

 exact and curious manner, and, as I told you, may 

 be rather said not to be ill than to be good meat. 

 The chub and he have, I think, both lost part of 

 their credit by ill cookery, they being reputed the 

 worst or coarsest of fresh-water fish. But the bar- 

 bel affords an angler choice sport, being a lusty 

 and a cunning fish ; so lusty and cunning as to 

 endanger 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 Plu- 

 tarch in his book " De Industria 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 



