THE BARBEL. GS 



and pitch it in anywhere, in the belief that any quantity of 

 barbel would be attracted into the swim, only waiting for a 

 bait to be dropped over their noses in order to be dragged 

 out wholesale. Now, my dear brother angler, let me caution 

 you in this respect — don't waste any ground bait if you can 

 help it, let caution mark your every movement in this respect. 

 You might pitch your ground bait in a place that is entirely 

 unsuited to the barbel, and wonder why you don't catch 

 them, when the fact is there are none there to catch, and then 

 go home disappointed, and say that barbel fishing is all a 

 delusion and a snare, and that there is not such a thing in the 

 river as a barbel. You are furthermore as cross as two sticks, 

 and vow you will give up fishing for ever, when in reality 

 the fault is yours and does not lie in the fish or river at all. 

 You have not been at home above half an hour when your 

 friend drops in and says that Smith has got such a glorious 

 catch of barbel, " as many as he could carry home," that is 

 the last feather that breaks the camel's back. You then, 

 perhaps, go to look at Smith's fish, and a finer lot you never 

 saw. " Smith, old fellow, how did you catch them ? " Ah, 

 there is the rub, by simply using a lit tie judgment in putting 

 in his ground bait where the fish were, and not throwing it 

 in anywhere, as you did. If you know a place that abounds 

 with barbel, of course it is different ; but if you don't, keep 

 your eyes open, and you will most probably see them jump 

 out of the water or go through a gymnastic exercise, locally 

 known as " pitching." They are troubled with parasites, and 

 I suppose it is in order to try to rid themselves of these pests 

 that they " pitch." As they generally run in shoals, where 

 you see one jump there are probably many more. During 

 the months of August, September, and October, which, by- 

 the-bye, are the very best months to take them, you can 

 scarcely take a walk by the river side without seeing them 

 jump very frequently. Having selected a swim, the next 



