47 



ing his tackle or line. "Well, fisherman," he at last said, 

 instead of my convincing you that the line was a bad one, you 

 have proved it be a very good one, just the reverse of what I 

 expected. I find now that I was to blame and not the line. 

 I think I could kill the largest fish in the river with the line, 

 which, an hour ago, I believed to be the worst I had ever fished 

 with. What a blunder I have made, and how ridiculous I 

 must have appeared in your eyes, you knowing better all the 

 time. Well, fisherman, the lesson you taught me this morning 

 I shall not forget ; and here is a crown for you, it will make a 

 little amends for the rough remarks I made when we met." 

 " Well, Sir," I observed, " I feel pleased you are satisfied ; and 

 you will now see that no Angler need allow a fish, when once 

 hooked, to break his tackle, be it ever so fine. I have killed 

 thousands of Barbel in my time, and never knew what it was 

 to break a line with a fish." I hope all my pupils and friends 

 will take a lesson from this, and never have to say that a fish 

 broke their tackle. 



THE FLOAT for Barbel fishing should be a cork one, long 

 and thin, as this make of float passes through the water 

 quicker and better than one made of the bung shape. It is 

 better without paint ; the cork made smooth, and varnished, is 

 all that is required. 



THE TACKLE FOB, COEKING should be one yard of fine gut, 

 care being taken that it is not too stout, for when you get fast, 

 it will break your line and you will lose your float and tackle 

 as well. Let the bottom gut, especially, be fine and round. 

 Place your bottom shot one foot from the hook; five or six BB shot 

 is sufficient ; if you require more weight put corking weights on 

 your line, to fall on the top of the tackle. Let your shot be the 

 thickest together near the top of the tackle, and taper them down 

 to the bottom. Tour hook should be a No. 3, tafted on with a 

 bit of silk line, and noosed to your gut. 



THE TACKLE FOE PLUMBING should be made of two stout 

 guts, which will be sufficient ; two shots in the middle, and a 

 JS"o. 2 hook tafted on the same as the above. 



