BARBEL AND BREAM. 6 1 



these barbels Carp, Tench, Gudgeon, Roach, and 

 Turbot, all find their food principally at the 

 bottom. The barbels, in fact, afford a correct 

 index to the habits of the fish which are thus 

 furnished, and teach the angler that in fishing for 

 them his bait must always be on or close to the 

 bottom. This rule holds good with especial force 

 in the case of the Barbel, which not only lives and 

 feeds on the bottom, but procures its food most 

 commonly by " rootling" with its nose amongst the 

 gravel and stones, veiy much as a pig turns up a 

 field with its snout. 



Bottom fishing either by the ordinary method, or 

 in the Nottingham style, are now the fashionable 

 modes of Barbel fishing. The tackle being that 

 already described, but somewhat stronger than 

 usual, as the Barbel is a very hard fighter, not 

 seldom running from five to seven, and even oc- 

 casionally to ten pounds weight. The best baits 

 are the tail of a lob-worm, greaves, and -gentles 

 their "order of merit" on the average of waters 

 being very much that in which they are here 

 placed. When gentles are used, five or six will not 

 be found too many for the bait ; the hook being 



