12 COARSE FISH. 



the rod from my hands, the fish was foul of some- 

 thing, and he had to break, the line coming back 

 minus hook and shot. Barbel are occasionally 

 hooked when roaching with gentles, and this is 

 what happened with my first barbel. I returned 

 home sad and sorry at the loss of a big fish, for it 

 is always the big fish we lose ! 



The object of ground-baiting is to draw your fish 

 together ; this must be remembered when your bait 

 travels .down stream, you must guide your float 

 along the line of the bait, or to the spot where you 

 suppose the bait will rest. This is simple from a punt 

 compared to bank-fishing, for the punt can generally 

 be placed in such a position that the mere flow of 

 water will guide the float in the line of the bait ; and 

 the same remark applies to fishing from a weir 

 head or a bridge. In fishing from the bank, the 

 stream is, more or less, at an angle to the rod 

 unless some jutting point or stump can be found 

 which makes an available swim. When the stream 

 runs between straight banks, and you are fishing a 

 swim, say ten yards away from the edge, there must 

 be an angle between rod top and float, hence fishing, 

 and striking, is more difficult, and the working of 

 both line and winch requires greater care and skill. 

 If you throw up stream, to reach some particular 

 spot, you must wind in as the float comes down, 

 slackening the line again when the float passes 

 you, taking care not to have a slack line between 

 rod-top and float. It is not always the rule to 

 throw up stream ; but sometimes, from the impossi- 

 bility of finding a favourable standpoint from which 

 you can reach a choice swim, it is compulsory to 

 do so. A slight elevation in the bank greatly 

 assists in fishing a long swim, the angler being 



