THE BARBEL. 5 



but, by keeping a taut line, the bite of a fish is easily 

 felt, giving a peculiar " knock " to the rod-top, 

 which should be followed by striking. The bite is 

 thus known by touch and not by sight, as is the 

 case when float-tackle is used. So swift and heavy 

 is the water in many pools, that we occasionally 

 have to employ two large bullets on the line to 

 keep the bait down. It is therefore evident that a 

 weak rod, running line and fine gut tackle are 

 useless to cope with so powerful a water ; indeed, it 

 is best to err on the side of strength of tackle, for, 

 as I have previously remarked, tackle broken in 

 barbel is the very worst thing for sport. These 

 bullets should run together on the running line, or 

 on gimp, being stopped by a good-sized swivel from 

 reaching the gut. If they travel on the gut, they 

 will soon fray it. 



A twelve-foot greenheart rod, with a stout top, 

 good strong brazings and winch fittings, will stand 

 the strain. In shallow, gentle swims, much lighter 

 tackle and cane rods may safely be employed ; but 

 barbel, if they feed at all, usually feed most greedily. 

 Much time is wasted in play by using very fine 

 gut ; hold your barbel as hard as you dare, and get 

 him out as soon as possible ; slip on another 

 worm and down with it ; if the fish are well on, it 

 will most likely be taken as soon as it is on 

 the bottom. Thames fishermen usually keep the 

 hook three feet or more from the bullet in straight 

 runs, and a swivel below the weight saves a lot of 

 twisting in the gut length. If you are punt-fishing, 

 the punt must be kept as steady as possible ; in a 

 swift weir run this is sometimes no easy matter, and 

 the rypecks must be driven in at a considerable 

 angle to resist the force of the stream, fixing the 



