OBSERVATIONS OF THE BARBEL 



that time, he spawns, and as I have formerly told you, with the 

 help of the melter, hides his spawn or eggs in holes, which they 

 both dig in the gravel, and then they mutually labour to cover 

 it with the same sand, to prevent it from being devoured by 

 other fish. 



There be such store of this fish in the river Danube, that 

 Rondeletius says, they may in some places of it, and in some 

 months of the year, be taken by those that dwell near to the 

 river, with their hands, eight or ten load at a time ; he says, 

 they begin to be good in May, and that they cease to be so 

 in August, but it is found to be otherwise in this nation: but 

 thus far we agree with him, that the spawn of a Barbel, if it 

 be not poison, as he says, yet that it is dangerous meat, and 

 especially in the month of May, which is so certain, that 

 Gesner and Gasius, declare it had an 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 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 

 AnimaliunV 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 

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