CHAP. XIV. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 267 



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 Barbel 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 Plutarch, 

 in his book De industria animalittm; and also so cun- 

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

 hook, and yet avoid the letting the hook come into 

 ids mouth* 



The Barbel is also curious, for his baits : that is 

 to say, that they be clean and sweet. And 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, 

 especially, if, a night or two before you fish for him, 

 you shall bait the places where you intend to fish for 

 him, with big worms cut in(o 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 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 are still the likelier to catch fish. Some have 

 directed to cut the cheese into thin pieces, and toast 



what is said of the wholesomeness of the JtesL, with some constitutions, 

 it produces the same effects as the ipatvn. About the month of Septem- 

 ber, in the year 1754, a servant of mine, who had eaten part of a Bar- 

 bel though, as I had cautioned him, he abstained from the spawn was 

 seized with such a violent purging and vomiting, as had like to have 

 co*t him his life. 



* Graves ; which are the sediment of tallow melted for the making of 

 candles; cut into pieces, are an excellent ground-bait for Barbel, Gud- 

 geons, and many other fish, if thrown in, the night before you angle. 



ft 



