M 



in which I caught them so late, the months of March and April 

 were very wet and cold, and I believe that in consequence they 

 went a week or two past their usual spawning time. I have 

 seen them on the scour as thick as they could lie on the 2nd of 

 May, but never sooner. There are numerous baits used for 

 Barbel, but I shall confine myself to mentioning those which T 

 use myself, and which I consider best at the different seasons 

 of the year. The cadbait is good for Barbel fishing just before 

 spawning time, and for the first two or three weeks when they 

 can be fished for after. The cadbait, as I have elsewhere men- 

 tioned, is found under large stones, on a gravelly bottom, in 

 April, May, June, and July. . Maggotsand gentles aregoodbaitsin 

 some rivers, but do not take very well in the Trent. Greaves, 

 cheese, and worms, I believe reaUy to be the best baits for Bar- 

 ' bel. The fittest months for greaves and cheese are August and 

 September ; the dew worm may be used almost at any time, 

 and, in my opinion, you may catch more Barbel, and keep 

 them biting longer, with the worm, than with any other bait 

 ever invented. This I have found to be the case in all rivers 

 that I have fished. 



The best method of fishing for Barbel is with the float. 

 Some Anglers consider the plumb, or leger, the best style 

 and the most killing mode of fishing, but I should have to talk 

 for a long time before I could make my pupUs believe this ; and 

 all sensible people, and every pupil to whom I have divulged 

 all the mysteries of angling, concur with me in thinking that 

 plumbing is too slow and sleepy for the Anglers of the present 

 day. There is as much difierence between plumbing and float fish- 

 ing as there is between the slow coach of bye-gone days and the 

 fast railway car of the present time. My opinion is, that the 

 plumb will be shortly shelved altogether, except for night fish- 

 ing, or when the water is thick : these are the only times I 

 should recommend the plumb to be used. 



The Eod toe Float EiSHiNGt should be twelve feet long, 

 light, and handy, — one that you may fish with without tiring. 

 The rod which I make myself is just the thing ; I cannot see 



