THE BARBEL. 7 



It delights, in summer, in strong currents, and gets 

 under bridges, in the weirs amongst piles, and some- 

 times in deep holes. It is in these places that they 

 are caught in the greatest numljers, and I know of 

 no spot where an angler is more likely to have good 

 sport than at the deep just below Hampton, and 

 nearly opposite to Garrick's temple. Indeed, I like 

 that spot for other reasons. I never fish within 

 sight of it, without thinking of that celebrated 

 actor, and admiring the beautiful sloping lawn 

 which he so much delighted in, and the classic- 

 temple in which he deposited his noble statue of 

 Shakspeare, and his mulberry-tree chair. One may 

 fancy him emerging from his arched grotto, with 

 Reynolds and Johnson, Burke and Beauclerk, in 

 order to show them the beautiful Thames as it 

 calmly glided at the foot of his lawn, or its grace- 

 ful windings, till the distant bridge terminated the 

 view. Here the gentle craftsman may depend upon 

 good sport, should the weather and the season In- 

 favourable. His fishing ground should be pre- 

 viously baited, and he should use a strong and 

 rather short rod, with a reel and a strong line, and 

 a bottom link of two or three lengths of gut twisted 

 together, with a No. 5 hook. The line should be 

 run through a bullet, which should have a stop at 

 about twelve inches from the hook to prevent its 

 slipping upon it. "When the line is thrown out, 

 the bullet rests on the ground, and the stream 



