THE BARBEL. 3 



Large catches of barbel are frequently made in 

 the Thames on the sixteenth of June, the 

 opening day of the season ; the fish have 

 had a long rest, and have not been alarmed by 

 leger-bullets being dropped amongst them. There 

 are, moreover, no fish swimming about with 

 broken tackles in their mouths ; for nothing does 

 more harm in a barbel-swim, if the fish are feeding 

 shyly, than for one or two to break away. At this 

 early season of the year barbel are seldom in good 

 condition. I therefore prefer the latter end of July, 

 August, September and October for barbel-fishing. 

 After October, frosts begin, and cold weather is not 

 favourable for this particular sport. A peculiarity is 

 that one rarely takes a barbel of much under 

 a pound in weight. Much discussion has recently 

 taken place as to whether barbel feed in winter, 

 and some few anglers appear to have baited 

 swims and tried their luck. Although I have never 

 deliberately angled for barbel in winter, I do a good 

 deal of w T orm-fishing for roach and perch ; and if 

 barbel made a habit of feeding regularly at that 

 period of the year, I think I must have picked up a 

 stray fish or two. This I have never done, and I 

 therefore conclude that their feeding in winter is 

 very exceptional.' Because perhaps on a mild 

 spring or autumn day two or three barbel are taken, 

 and only then by baiting well, I do not consider we 

 can therefore assume that barbel feed during the 

 cold- weather. On the Thames, ninety-nine anglers 

 out of a hundred look upon barbelling after October 

 as next to madness, and my views entirely agree 

 with those of the ninety and nine. With respect to 

 Thames fishing, I regard winter barbel-fishing as so 

 much waste of time, as chub, pike, roach and perch 



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