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CHAPTER XX. 



BARBEL AND BREAM. 



Habits of barbel and ' ground swimmers' generally. Bottom fishing — 

 tackle and baits. Leger fishing and tackle. Ground baits and baiting 

 — A^'"orms and clay-balls ; how to make and use. Spawning-time. 

 Haunts of Barbel — Torpidity in great cold. 



Different species of Bream — Carp Bream ; White Bream, or Bream 

 flat ; Pomeranian Bream : their habitats, and how to be distinguished. 

 Bream fishing in rivers and ponds — Tackle, baits. Ground baits. 

 Spawning-time. 



Barbel. 



The Barbel is so named from the barbels or beards 

 with which its nose and upper lip are furnished, in order 

 to assist it in feeling its way about in deep, and conse- 

 quently more or less dark waters ; and probably also for 

 the purpose of enabling it to detect the nature of the 

 substances with which it comes in contact. Of the species 

 provided with these barbels — Carp, Tench, Gudgeon, 

 Roach, and Turbot, all find their food principally at the 

 bottom. The barbels, in fact, afford a correct index to 

 the habits of the fish which are thus furnished, and teach 

 the angler that in fishing for them his bait nmst always 

 be on or close to the bottom. This rule holds good with 



