82 ANGLING 



there was nothing in his condition or appearance to account 

 for his offering a resistance so very different from the stubborn 

 and obstinate opposition his species usually display. How- 

 ever he was quite good enough to keep for Charlie Cobb's 

 dinner next day, so he was consigned to the sack, there to 

 lament over his rashness and his relish for " scratchings." It 

 was not to be Witchdorter's day so far as barbel were con- 

 cerned, but he dressed Mr. Hopper down properly at cribbage 

 after the return to the hostelry that evening ; in fact he slated Mr. 

 Hopper right well this year's visit and considerably reduced Mr. 

 Hopper's formidable lead on the year's play. But this is not 

 fishing talk, so the gentle reader must be taken back from 

 the cribbage board to the barbel swim which rejoices in the 

 name of the " Land o' Cakes hole " why hole Mr. Hopper is at 

 a loss to know, for the swim is a very rapid one. Well, being 

 back at the hole in question, imagine, kind reader, you observe 

 Mr. Hopper and Witchdorter sitting in their boat very intent 

 upon their floats. Down goes Mr. Hopper's float, up jumps 

 the end of his rod, and he is fast in a big barbel a real big one 

 this time. He bolts down the swim for at least 40 yards, boring 

 hard to get to his home amongst the large stones spoken of 

 above, and Mr. Hopper has to put extra pressure on him, but 

 do what he will Mr. Hopper cannot stop him, and he is just 

 telling Witchdorter that it is a regular plugger at least 12 or 

 14 Ibs. when the pulling and tugging cease and Mr. Hopper 

 has the mortification of seeing his float rise to the surface and 

 swim away down the river, never to be recovered. That loss he 

 can get over, but to be broken by a whopping big barbel when 

 Mr. Hopper thought he had him safe was very galling. It was 

 the line which had broken, and seeing that it had been strong 

 enough for the 5-pounder previously caught, Mr. Hopper relied 

 on it perhaps too implicitly for larger and stronger fish. 

 However, the pressure brought to bear upon Mr. Barbel was 

 quite necessary, as he would otherwise have fought his way 

 down amongst the big stones and when there, soon have made 

 an end of the tackle he was held by. No more barbel 

 ventured upon an evening meal, and although Mr. Hopper and 



