112 LONDON ANGLER'S BOOK, 



while his companion,having pitched upon the right swim, had pretty 

 good luck. About twenty or thirty yards below him, the unsuc- 

 cessful Fisher observed several good fish floundering about, and 

 upon a close inspection concluded them lo be Barbel, at all events 

 they were fish of a good size, so he hastened round to the spot, 

 and prepared to fish for them ; he tried all his skill, but no luck, 

 the fish still floundering, the bait was renewed, the depth altered, 

 still no luck, In this manner he tried for an hour or two, when 

 his attention was directed to his friend above, who had seen him 

 employed, and, knowing the cause of his bad luck, could contain 

 himself no longer, but bursting out into an immoderate fit of 

 laughter, thus addressed the unlucky one; 'What, old fellow, 

 won't they bite, can't you nibble 'em 1 ' ' why no/ says the other, 

 I've tried all I know, but to no purpose.' ' Then come here,' 

 says the lucky one, ' and I will tell you the reason,' Anxious to 

 know what prevented his sport, he hastened to his friend, and won- 

 dered what he was about, as by the time he reached the spot, he had 

 relinquished his rod t and seemed to be pulling up an Eel line, but 

 to his great astonishment he saw a good sized Barbel make its 

 appearance ; this was pitched on the grass ; another, then another 

 followed it, to the number of five or six ; in an instant the cause 

 was apparent, the successful fisher had fastened his fish as he 

 took them, to a stout line, by the gills, and put them in the river, 

 for the purpose of keeping them alive, and they had floated down 

 to where they were seen plunging about, and the Angler had been 

 wasting his skill and patience to take those very fish that were 

 fast to a line. 



A RUN WITH A CAT. 



Every Troller must know the value of a good bait, and how diffi- 

 cult at times it is to get them ready to your hand. Baits are kept 

 at the various fishing houses on the Lea, but in order to have the 



