BARBEL AND BREAM. 45 



him be worm or gentle crammed his flesh is never the better 

 for it. His great angling value being his obstinacy, which 

 gives him strength notwithstanding the morbid appearance 

 of the muscles, and he will resist your efforts to tow him out 

 of the water with exciting energy. His large fins give him 

 great power when in the water, and he works heavily with 

 them to get away when hooked, making them tread and beat 

 the water like the paddles of a slow steamer." 



HE Rod used for Float-fishing for Barbel should be 

 stiff and light, about thirteen feet long of mottled cane, 

 with an extra top to shorten it about two feet for leger 

 fishing, which requires a stronger rod. The Line should 

 be of the finest prepared plaited silk, about eighty or a hun- 

 dred yards in length for float-fishing, but should not be so 

 fine to use with a leger. The Winch may be either wood, 

 brass or bronze. It must be understood here, that when I 

 mention float-fishing for Barbel, I refer more particularly to 

 that with the running float known as the "Traveller." These 

 floats are made of cork, long and thin ; of various lengths to 

 carry from a dozen to forty shots, and are fitted with a small 

 ring at each end bend down at right angles with the float. 

 Through these rings the line passes, the float running 0* 

 travelling loose on the line, hence its name. To use it : select 

 a long steady swim with a tolerably even bottom, free from 

 large stones or other obstructions. There are several swims 

 in the Thames where I have worked the " Traveller " success- 

 fully, quite fifty yards down the river. One of the best of 

 these swims is in the neighbourhood of Great Marlow. I 

 remember well fishing it with a friend in July, 1856, and 

 rather astonishing sundry Piscators who were using the leger 

 line from the bank, without having so much as a nibble 

 among them all. In a day and a half we landed very nearly 

 three hundred weight of Barbel, some Perch and Dace, and 

 though last, not least a fine Trout weighing five pounds. 

 We should have taken more but in consequence of the Mill 

 stopping, the water was lowered considerably in depth and 

 the current was so slow that comparatively speaking it was 

 dead water. Three of the Barbel were over nine pounds 



