PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 455 



are, and plenty of them, but as barbel-fishing is most 

 effectively carried out on the Thames, and is possibly better 

 understood on that river than on any other in the kingdom, 

 I shall confine my remarks chiefly to the practice there. 



Now as to the qualities of my friend the barbel. We 

 have heard a great deal lately about the marvellous game- 

 ness of the black bass of America, and I have heard my 

 friends Mr. Wilmot and Dr. Honeyman expatiate upon 

 him at vast length, saying that there is no such fish in this 

 world for game qualities. I am perfectly prepared to 

 admit it, but I must insist that the barbel of the Thames 

 is an equally game fish, indeed I doubt very much whether 

 there is any fish which can possibly eclipse my old antag- 

 onist the Thames barbel. He is a wonderfully game fish ; 

 you can never call him dead until he is absolutely in your 

 landing net. I can tell you, gentlemen, that when I have 

 had a big barbel " hang on," to use a fisherman's slang, in a 

 heavy weir stream, the sport has been comparable to the 

 best fighting salmon I ever hooked in my life or ever saw 

 hooked, considering the relative difference in the tackle 

 used. There is a considerable difference between the 

 style of barbel-fishing on the Trent and on the Thames, 

 and these are the two principal rivers where barbel are 

 fished for in the present day. The Trent fisherman 

 almost invariably fishes with float tackles, the Thames 

 fisherman with a leger. The difference is still greater 

 when you listen to the conditions on which success is said 

 to depend. The Trent fisherman tells you that unless the 

 river is low and exceedingly bright there is no possible 

 chance of catching barbel at all. The Thames fisherman, 

 and I take it upon myself to say he is right, will tell 

 you that you rarely get fish in the Thames unless the 

 water is high and thick. The higher the water, and the 



