CHOOSING A BARBEL-SWIM. 51 



and fish it. If, however, he does not know where there 

 are barbel, he should keep his eyes open, and mark where 

 he sees a barbel jump ; for, as they are by no means a 

 solitary fish, he will probably there find more of them. 

 Barbel are a very restless fish, jumping out of the water 

 all day long, differing in this from many fish which only 

 show themselves so in the morning and evening. It is 

 said that they 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 above 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. Pailing 

 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 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-sbeam until he comes to the next most 



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