THE BARBEL. 113 



near Shepperton and Watten that one hundred 

 and fifty pounds weight has been taken in the 

 course of five hours, and on one occasion two hun- 

 dred and eighty pounds weight of large sized barbel 

 was captured in a single day. The largest British 

 specimen recorded weighed fifteen and a half pounds. 

 Mr. Jesse has frequently caught barbel while spin- 

 ning for large Thames trout with bleak or minnow. 

 The barbel feeds on slugs, worms, and fishes, and 

 its spawning season occurs in May and June. The 

 ova, amounting to seven or eight thousand, are 

 deposited on the gravel, and covered over by the 

 parents.* 



In a culinary point of view this is one of the 

 worst of the fresh- water fishes. It is gregarious, 

 and roots among the soft banks with its nose, like 

 a sow. During this process small fish are seen to 

 attend upon it, probably with a view to seize on 

 whatever minute aquatic creatures may be dis- 

 lodged from earth or stones. 



The angling season commences in May, and con- 

 tinues till September. The most approved hours 

 are from daylight till ten in the morning, and from 

 four in the afternoon till about sunset. The line 

 should be strong and rather heavily leaded, so that 

 the bait may float about half an inch from the 

 ground. Considerable caution is required in play- 

 ing this fish, as he is apt to run off when struck, 

 with great violence, towards some stronghold, and 

 in so doing sometimes breaks both rod and line. 



* British FisJies, vol. i. p. 322. 



