THE BAEBEL. 75 



either a long pear-shaped lead, or a flat triangular one. Some 

 anglers put this lead on their lines and pinch a split shot ' 

 below it close to the loop of the tackle, but I think it is best 

 to put the ledger on a small length of fine gimp, and make 

 a loop at each end. The reel line can be fastened to one 

 loop and the loop of the tackle can be put tlirough the loop 

 on the gimp. The hook is brought through the tackle loop 

 and drawn tight, it is then perfectly fast. The lead is liable 

 to cut the line if it is put on that, so I think the gimp is 

 better. When this plan is adopted in the rough waters of a 

 weir, a stronger line and tackle is used. The waters are 

 mostly discoloured by the stream stirring up the sand at the 

 bottom, and there are mostly a lot of big stones, piles, and 

 obstructions generally in the neighbourhood of a weir. When 

 also a fish is hooked and bolts for his " hover," it has to be a 

 clear case of '* pull devil, pull baker." The hooks and baits 

 for this style are the same as for float fishing. 



If the angler has not the time to properly bait a swim, he 

 can fish in a style known as " roving " for barbel. Having 

 found a likely-looking spot, he cuts up a very few worms and 

 throws them in, and then fishes it with either the traveller 

 float, the ledger, or tight corking ; if he gets a fish or two, well 

 and good, if not, he looks for another place and tries again. 

 Should the water be low and bright you will find, as a rule, 

 the barbel in the deepest holes, but if, on the other hand, the 

 water is high and very much discoloured, you will find them 

 on the shallows ; for they, like pigs, like to root amongst the 

 sand on the bottom. I remember only last year that one of 

 the night-line parties set their lines during a fresh on the 

 shallows below Winthorp, and for two or three nights, while 

 the water was up, they had some very nice catches of barbel, 

 but as soon as the water went down they ceased catching barbel 

 there, the fish having retired into the deep holes. During a 

 fresh in August and September some good barbel are often 

 taken by ledgering or long corking close to the bank, for they 



