56 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



power of the manoeuvre may be easily illus- 

 trated. Let any angler put his rod and line 

 together and hold it up, while you lay hold of 

 the bottom of the line and pull and try to 

 break it, you will find that the power must be 

 tremendous, according to the real strength of 

 the apparatus. Thus then it is in angling; 

 and as soon as the fish gets away from that 

 power over him, he will very soon get away 

 from you altogether. 



If you are fishing for barbel in a deep, dan- 

 gerous hole, where there are roots of bushes, or 

 trees, in the water, as soon as you hook a fish, 

 he will make for the roots and bushes, just as 

 a wounded rabbit makes for the hedge ; and 

 if he once get under them, you will be a very 

 clever fellow if ever you get him out again. 

 You must, therefore, in such a place, give him 

 scarcely any running line at all, but hold him 

 by main force in the middle of your swim. If 

 your swim be quite open, and your fish cannot 

 run into danger, you may give more line 

 accordingly. Don't be in a hurry to get him 

 out of the water, especially if he be a heavy 

 fish, for the hook will not come out of him 

 easily, and after his first desperate struggling 

 is over, he will allow you to lead him about 



