CHAP. XIV. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 177 



both ended together: and I shall give you but this obser- 

 vation, that when you fish for a Barbel, your rod and line 

 be both long and of good strength; for, as I told you, 

 you will find him a heavy and a dogged fish to be dealt 

 withal; yet he seldom or never breaks his hold, if he be 

 once strucken. And if you would know more of fishing 

 for the Umber or Barbel, 1 get into favour with Dr. Shel- 



(I) Of the haunts of the Barbel, the author has spoken sufficiently. Barbel 

 spawn about the middle of April, and grow in season about a month after. 



Baits for Barbel, other than what Walton has mentioned, are the young 

 brood of wasps, hornets, and humble bees. 



In fishing for him, use a very strong rod, and a silk line with a shot and a 

 bullet, as directed for the Trout. Some use a cork float, which, if you do, be 

 sure to fish as close to the bottom as possible, so as the bait does not touch the 

 ground. . 



In angling for lesser fish, the angler will sometimes find it a misfortune to 

 hook a Barbel ; a fish so sullen, that, with fine tackle, it is scarcely possible to 

 land one of twelve inches long. 



A lover of angling told me the following story: Hewas fishing in the river Lea, 

 at the ferry called Jeremy's, and had hooked a large fish at the time when some 

 Londoners, with tin ir horses, were passing : they congratulated him on his suc- 

 cess, and got out of the ferryboat, but, finding the fish not likely to yield, mounted 

 their horses and rode off. The fact was, that, angling for small fiih, his bait 

 had been taken by a Barbel too big for the fisher to manage. Not caring to risk 

 his tackle, by attempting to raise him, he hoped to tire him, and, to that end 

 suffered himself to be led (to use his own expression) as a blind man is by his 

 dog, several yards up, and as many down the bank of the river, in short, for 

 so many hours, that the horsemen above-mentioned (who had been at Waltham- 

 stow, and dined) were returned; who, seeing him thus occupied, cried out, 

 " What, master, another large fish ? " No," says Piscator, it is the very 

 same." " Nay," says one of them, " that can never be; for it is five hours 

 sincewe crossed the river." And not believing him, they rode on their way. 

 At length our angler determined to do that which a less patient one would 

 have done long before : he made one vigorous effort to land his fish, broke his 

 tackle and lust him. 



Fishing for Barbel is, at best, but a dull recreation. They are a sullen fish, 

 and bit*! but slowly. The angler drops in his bait ; the bullet, at the bottom of 

 the line, fixes it to one spot of the river. Tired with waiting for a bite, he 

 generally lays down his rod, and, exercising the patience of a setting-dog, waits 

 till he sees the top of his rod move ; then begins a struggle between him and 

 the fish, winch he calls his sport ; and that being over, he lands his prize, 

 fresh baits his hook, and lays i.i for another. 



Living, some years ago, in a village on the banks of the Thames, I was used, 

 in the summer months, to be much in a boat on the river. It chanced that, at 

 Shppperton, wheie I hud been for a few days, I frequently passed an elderly 

 gentleman in his boat, who appeared to be fishing, at different stations for 

 Barbel. After a few salutations had passed between us, and we were become a 

 little acquainted, I took occasion to enquire of him what diversion he had met 

 with. "Sir," says he, " I have had but bad luck to-day, for 1 fish for Barbel, 

 and you know they are not to be caught like Gudgeons." " It is very true," an. 

 swered I; "but what you want in tale, I suppose you make up in weight." 



N 



