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ground. If you were to go where you want it would be all 

 over with you ; the only chance you have is to catch them a 

 long way off." I now threw in a few more worms, two yards 

 lower down than the first lot, which made the fish bite at least 

 twenty-five yards off. This was a great distance to hit a fish, 

 but they were hit to perfection, for a bite was seldom missed, 

 or a fish lost. When we had fished for three hours they went 

 off biting, and we left the place and had a bite ourselves. We 

 returned in about a couple of hours and found them as keen 

 and eager for the bait as when we first, commenced. I must 

 tell you I never gave them a worm while they were biting, but 

 when I saw two or three swims without a bite, I then threw in 

 a few. By taking this plan I kept the fish hungry all the time. 

 In about five hours and a half we caught one hundred and 

 thirteen pounds of Barbel without stirring a yard from the 

 standing we first took up, and every fish was hooked from twenty 

 to five and twenty yards off. On our return to the village I 

 sent for my friend who had promised me such a licking, and 

 you may fancy his surprise on beholding three baskets full of 

 Barbel. " Now," I said, " you see what sort of a licking we 

 have got — not quite so bad as you expected, and I hope the next 

 time you go Barbel fishing you may get licked no worse. After 

 this I think you will agree with me that the water cannot he 

 too clear for Barbel fishing." 



When there is a rise in the . water, say of one yard, and it is 

 very thick, you must remember it is useless fishing with the float, 

 as on account of the water being thick the fish are, unable to see 

 the bait when swimming down the stream. The plumb is 

 then your only chance, as in fishing with it the bait lies upon 

 the bottom, and when it does Barbel will be sure to find it, 

 no matter how thick the water, or how dark the day. The 

 Londoners fish for Barbel with the ledger, a perforated bullet, 

 which rolls on the bottom and keeps the bait moving for a time ; 

 when it settles they wind and throw again, expecting to get a 

 bite, while the bullet is moving. If they tried this style of fishing 

 when the water is thick they would find it a failure. Borne writers 



