354 BEST BAITS FOB BARBEL. 



weed-beds, in hollows surrounded by shelving 

 sides, in the strong, deep currents of bridges ; and 

 piles, weirs, and locks are favourite resorts of 

 theirs. They are on the feed during the night, 

 and you cannot, in fine summer weather, angle too 

 early or too late for them. 



The lob -worm is the best bait for barbel ; next 

 gentles, prepared greaves, and cheese and bullocks' 

 brains and pith. The latter are autumn and early 

 winter baits. The most amusing and successful 

 way of angling for barbel in the best rivers for 

 them, such as the Thames and the Trent, is with 

 the leger-line. The leger-lead should not be a 

 perforated, flat piece of lead, but a perforated 

 bullet, placed between two knots on the bottom- 

 line, about two feet from the hook. The knots 

 should be an inch or two apart, and the piece of line 

 between them should be of strong gimp, which will 

 resist better than gut the attrition of the constantly 

 moving bullet. The bullet enables you to cast your 

 bait to any reasonable distance, and, when it sinks 

 to the bottom, it keeps rocking there to the motion 

 of the water, and the hole in it allows the worm to 

 work away a little and wreath itself about, so that 

 the bait is continually in attractive action. When the 

 barbel takes it and moves off with it, he gets checked 

 by the resistance of the bullet to the upper knob on 

 the line ; you feel the check ; strike sharply, and 

 you cannot well fail in striking the leather- mouthed 



