BARBEL-FISHING 35 



jump thus to free themselves from parasites to which they are 

 very subject. 



If the angler cannot fix upon a swim in this way, he should 

 choose a swim such as I have described, and which ends in, 

 or runs by the edge of, some deep hole or eddy, or where there 

 are old piles or roots, sunken boats, or rubbish of any kind 

 which may afford harbours for the fish. This he should bait 

 in such fashion that some of the bait shall find its way into 

 the hole and amongst the rubbish, and so coax the fish from 

 their holes to look for more, even though a hook should be 

 concealed in some of it. Failing in all these methods, he must 

 rove for them, and this, after all, is much the pleasantest way 

 of fishing. Coming to the river's side, he chooses a swim 

 which appears suitable, and which he finds is tolerably level. 

 Here he breaks up two or three worms or other bait, and 

 throws them loosely into the water, so that they shall find 

 the bottom all about the swim he designs to fish. Then he 

 takes half a dozen or a dozen swims. If he catches a fish he 

 throws in another worm or two. If the fish go on biting he 

 keeps on fishing, now and then throwing in a worm or two to 

 draw them together. If the place appears likely to show sport, 

 he throws in perhaps half a dozen or a dozen worms broken up, 

 and fishes the swim until the fish are exhausted or go off, when 

 he seeks another swim. Should he, however, get no fish or 

 bite in half a dozen swims he continues onward down-stream 

 until he comes to the next most likely swim, when he tries 

 that in like manner never stopping longer in one swim 

 than the fish bite. 



In this method of fishing the angler must make as little 

 disturbance on the bank as possible, or he will alarm every 

 fish. Should he, however, know where a good store of barbel 

 lie, having chosen the swim, he will proceed to bait it with 

 about 1000 fresh lob or dew-worms, coming to it at least twenty 

 hours before he intends to fish it. He breaks each worm up 

 into about four pieces, and casts the whole into the place he 

 intends to fish. On the Thames, in order to keep the bait 

 from straying too far, the worms are enclosed in huge balls of 

 clay, and the fishermen bait the night before fishing ; so that 

 when they come in the morning, less than twelve hours after, 

 they find the fish collected together, doubtless, but gorged 

 with the worms so profusely provided for them, and so close 

 to the place where the punt-poles are to be driven in, and the 

 punt or boat fixed, that the fish, startled, even if they are 



