46 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



should be made of platted silk, not too fine; 

 and ten or twelve yards will be sufficient, 

 which for convenience and neatness you may 

 have on a very small winch ; or you may make 

 use of that which you use for jack fishing. 



If you are fishing in a fine open swim, 

 where there are no dangerous places, and 

 the barbel run small, you may try your skill 

 with a single hair line ; and if your hair 

 be very good, and your judgment very superior, 

 you may manage to take a fish or two. We 

 have occasionally . taken a fish in that way, 

 but the chances are all against you; you 

 may get plenty of bites, breaks and vexation, 

 but very few fish. You must not put one 

 shot on your gut two or three inches from 

 the hook, as in roach fishing. 



THE FLOAT. 



You should always have for barbel fishing 

 a float that takes a good number of shots, 

 because your bait must always drag the 

 ground, and a float under a certain size will 

 not have power to keep up while the bait 

 is dragging. If the swim be rapid and the 

 bottom good, five or six inches will not be 



