THE BARBEL. 41 



fish is not in the mood for taking, and three times 

 out of four the worms expended, or assumed to be 

 expended, by the fisherman, are thrown away. 



The orthodox mode of angling for barbel is with 

 a reel and line, both of considerable length, and 

 the latter of moderate thickness, ending with eight 

 or ten feet of gut, the last eighteen inches passed 

 through a bullet, which is kept from slipping down 

 by a No. 4 shot, playing the bait (the most taking 

 is a large well-scoured lob-worm) just clear of, but 

 almost on, the bottom. Ten or twelve yards of 

 line are let off the reel, coiled at the bottom of the 

 punt, and, aided by the weight of the bullet, are 

 thrown out down the stream to the full extent of 

 the length. The bait having reached the bottom, 

 any slack there may be is at once taken up, and 

 the line being moderately taut and passed under or 

 round the fisher's finger so as to give immediate 

 notice of a bite, the point of the rod but a few 

 inches above the water, he waits with what pati- 

 ence he may for the desired result. This, as we 

 have said, is sometimes long a-coming, sometimes it 

 never comes, but when it does the fact is signified 

 by a smartish jerk on the line. To this first 

 summons, you, like an over-worked waiter in a 

 second-class inn, pay no attention, but should your 

 customer persevere, and ring the bell a second 



