SEPTEMBER, 1894. 



XXII. "MARSHALL'S PARLOUR," AND A BIT OF BREAM 

 FISHING. 



yWV R. Hopper having on his two visits to the swim alluded to 

 / V in the last article been instrumental with the co-opera- 

 tion of Billyboy in removing 17 barbel from their watery 

 home, was not particularly sanguine on the occasion of his 

 next visit there about circumventing any of the others still 

 remaining, as it was probable the baiting was " going off " 

 after three days, in consequence of the " scratching " not being 

 such a novelty as it had been. Having these misgivings Mr. 

 Hopper accordingly deferred his visit on Thursday until quite 

 the evening, but he and his angling mate were well satisfied 

 with their sport, as in a very short time they landed four barbel, 

 the largest 61bs., which fell to Mr. Hopper's rod. It was a 

 splendid fish, and on being struck about 25 yards from the 

 boat ran out in a very few seconds at least 40 or 50 yards' 

 more line, and it will readily be understood that a 61b..fish at a 

 distance of 70 yards boring down at the bottom of 16 feet of 

 water is a tolerably heavy weight at the end of one's line and 

 quite sufficient to tax the skill of the angler and excite his 

 keenest ambition and desires to prove the victor in the 

 struggle. A little under a quarter of an hour sufficed to bring 

 about the end of as game a barbel as it has ever fallen to Mr. 

 Hopper's lot to capture, but he has caught in previous years 

 heavier fish one last year pulling down the scale at 7lbs., and 

 one a few years ago reaching 81bs. the one last referred to 

 occupying 25 minutes of Mr. Hopper's time before he was 

 landed. The swim yielded no more barbel, due probably to a 

 very heavy rainfall which caused a rise in the river and either 

 dispersed the fish or put them off the feed, but 21 barbel, 

 ranging from 3lbs. to 61bs. (some of them 4ilbs. and 5lbs. each), 

 from one swim were not to be sneezed at, and Mr. Hopper 

 felt more than elated with his success. The best day's barbel 

 fishing on the Trent Mr. Hopper ever heard of was about 40 



