EXPERIENCES & REMINISCENCES. 121 



" fresh " of storm water to come tearing down and clear away 

 all the weed and rubbish in the bed of the river, and then why 

 then one might catch a hundredweight or two of the leather 

 flappers in an outing of a few hours, and sure enough September 

 is the month for bream fishing. Well, putting carp bream 

 aside, what about barbel, Mr. Hopper? For a week all went 

 well fair sport. One swim yielded one or more every night, and 

 then all went wrong. Mr. Hopper's swim was only seven feet 

 deep, and was not a home for barbel, whereas 350 yards above 

 was a swim 14 feet deep, which was a home for them. Mr. 

 Hopper had therefore to draw his "congregation" from the 

 deep swim, but when some wily Nottingham anglers began to 

 bait the deep swim Mr. Hopper's swim yielded no more, 

 because the fish finding their repast ready at their noses did 

 not need to go roaming at night in search of food to fill their 

 stomachs. 



Why did not Mr. Hopper bait the deep swim ? Well, he 

 didn't for many reasons. He likes to try new ground, and if 

 the venture succeeds, well, Mr. Hopper takes to himself a little 

 credit for finding out a new swim. But was the seven feet 

 swim a success ? Rather ! the first night Mr. Hopper tickled 

 the palates of ten barbel, and some of them " whoppers," but he 

 was a bit clumsy and out of form that evening, and ought to 

 have landed four more than he actually did. One too curious 

 chub first fell a victim by too earnest an investigation of that 

 piece of white flakey matter floating down the swim, just 

 touching now and again the bottom he weighed i^lb., and 

 then the barbel commenced, and no more chub. Mr. Hopper 

 had not taken his landing net, so he had to play each fish out 

 and land it with his hand at the side of the boat. 



Two nights after Helterton rode over from Grimsby on his 

 bicycle (at least he said he did, but there is a railway line to 

 Lincoln, nine miles from Marnham), and joining Mr. Hopper in 

 the boat soon caught his first barbel, which, though weighing 

 only 2ilbs., gave plenty of play. Shortly afterwards Helterton 

 was into a regular banger, but somehow Mr. Barbel got loose 

 and detached himself. After Helterton's departure the weather 



