THE BARBEL. 63 



but neither of them are very extraordinary. 

 They swim in great shoals, and are at the worst 

 in April, at which time they spawn, but soon 

 come into season again j the places they chiefly 

 resort are such as are weedy, gravelly rising 

 grounds, in which this fish is said to dig, and 

 rout his nose like a swine. In the summer he 

 frequents the strongest and swiftest currents of 

 water, as under deep bridges, weirs, &c. and is 

 apt to settle himself amongst the piles, hollow 

 places and in moss and weeds. In the autumn he 

 retires into the deeps, where he remains all the 

 winter and beginning of the spring. The best baits 

 for him are salmon- spawn, lob-worms, gentses, bits 

 of cheese wrapt up in a wet linen rag to make 

 it tough, or steeped in honey for twenty- four 

 hours, MI& greaves : observe, that the sweeter and 

 cleaner your baits are kept the more eager he 

 takes them. You cannot bait the ground too 

 much for him, when you angle for him with any 

 kind of garbage: as lob-worms, cut in pieces, 

 m alt and grains incorporated with Hood and clay, 

 &c. The earlier and later you fish for him iu 

 the months of June, July, and August, the better. 

 Your rod and line must be very strong; the 

 former ringed, and the latter must have gimp at 

 the bottom, but I think twisted gut is better: 

 a running plummet must be placed on your line, 

 which is a bullett* with a hole through it : place 

 a large shot a foot above the hook, to prevent 

 the bullet falling on it. The worm will of course 

 be at the bottom, for no float is to be used, and 

 when th% barbel takes the bait, the bullet will lie 

 on the ground, and not choak him. By the bend- 

 ing of your rod you will know when he bites, and 



* I have found lately that the flat plummet is much better* 



