SEPTEMBER, 1894. 



XXI. BlLLYBOY'AND " TWO LOVELY BROWN EYES." 



AS the barbel, after the rise of water alluded to in a 

 previous article had gone off, persistently declined to 

 regale themselves on the well-scoured worms offered for 

 their repast, or, as non-anglers would put it, " to allure them to 

 their fate," Mr. Hopper determined to endeavour to bring 

 them on the feed lower down the river with some well-scalded 

 " scratching." So on the following Monday morning he dropped 

 down the river in the boat, and, knowing where Billyboy was to 

 be found, consulted him as to the best swim to bait. That 

 astute and knowing angler, after a little cogitation, fixed upon 

 a rapid stony swim about 16 feet in depth, which he said had 

 not been fished for at least five years, and he promised to do the 

 needful that evening in the matter of dropping in the scratching 

 made up in clay balls, in return for which Mr. Hopper was to 

 give him a seat in his boat when giving the swim a trial next 

 evening. On Tuesday evening, therefore, Mr. Hopper dropped 

 two miles down the river in his boat, and, having picked up 

 Billyboy on the way, the boat was soon moored at the head 

 of the swim, some 16 or 18 yards from the side, just clear of the 

 huge boulders of stone which ages ago had been placed in the 

 bed and at the side of the river to protect the bank from the 

 force of the winter floods. A shelter of big granite blocks 

 laying about in confusion affords a real home for barbeL 

 Floating was first tried, but there being no response, except a 

 2-pound chub which Mr. Hopper safely negotiated into the 

 boat, a Council of War was held, and it was determined to 

 "leger" for them, it being considered that in consequence of 

 the fineness of the water the gut trace when travelling down the 

 swim could be seen by the fish. Mr. Hopper had no immediate 

 success, but Billyboy had any amount of attention paid to his 

 bait, and five times in succession he was broken when striking 

 his fish, losing a hook and portion of his gut trace each time. 

 This was an unfortunate beginning, as what effect five barbel. 



