THE BARBEL. 67 



rise. Tlie reason of this is obvious, for eels and other noc- 

 turnal fish would be attracted into the swim if you baited 

 over-night, and get a lot of the ground bait that was intended 

 for the barbel, therefore I pronounce for morning baiting. 



If you wish to fish a pitch that you cannot bait very well 

 by scattering the worms down the stream — if, for instance, 

 the water runs too fast— then a good plan is to have a small 

 net, something like a cabbage or onion net, and put clay 

 and worms in it. Then tie a strong cord to it, and cast it in 

 the stream a little above where you are going to fish ; the 

 action of the water will cause the worms to work out of the 

 net and attract the fish into the swim. When you come 

 again to bait, draw the net out by means of the cord, fill it 

 again, and repeat the operation until the swim is fully baited, 

 Walton says " the barbel is curious for his baits, that they 

 may be clean and sweet, that is to say, to have your worms 

 well scoured, and not kept in sour or musty moss, for he is a 

 curious feeder ; but at a well- scoured lob- worm he will bite 

 as boldly as at any bait, and especially if, the night or two 

 before you fish for him, you shall bait the places where you 

 intend to fish for him with big worms cut into pieces, and 

 note that none did overbait the place, or fish too early or too 

 late for a barbel." If this held good in Walton's time, that 

 a well-scoured lob- worm is the best bait for a barbel, it holds 

 equally as good now. The next business, therefore, is to pro- 

 cure a well-scoured lob-worm. The maiden lobs are the 

 very best for the hook ; and may be known very easily. 

 They are the smallest of the dew worms that you pick up 

 from the grass, and have no rings or knobs on them. Their 

 colour is a bright pink, and they are usually about two or three 

 inches long. These sorts should be picked out from the 

 others and kept separate, among some fresh moss that is 

 slightly damped. To make them a clear red colour, you 

 should have a piece of very soft red brick, and when you 



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