264 NOTES ON PISH AND FISHING. 



often of late years that takes approximating the above 

 have been recorded ; but still there are many barbel- 

 fishers now alive who have scored their cwt. Perhaps 

 the truth is that barbel are as plentiful in the Thames as 

 ever — and even more so — but, like other fish, they have 

 become more eduafcted of late years. It has been ob- 

 served also that during the last decade they have become 

 more capricious in their habits of feeding. Tears ago 

 they were almost always " on " in July, August, and Sep- 

 tember, but now-a-days they are more often " off " than 

 "on," even when the weather and water would seem 

 most favourable to their biting, and ground-bait has been 

 judiciously administered ; and in some swims, as, for in- 

 stance, beneath the Victoria Bridge, near Datehet, they 

 refuse to bite altogether. It may be remembered that a 

 few seasons ago there was hardly an occasion during a 

 whole summer and autumn when they were " on " at all, 

 and barbel-fishing that year was almost an entire blank. 

 It may be worth the consideration of anglers, whether it 

 would not be advisable to try new " swims," and give the 

 traditional ones, which all have their geographical names 

 and are fished to death, a rest. Mr. Bailey, the cele- 

 brated Nottingham fisherman, has tried this plan on the 

 Thames for several seasons with considerable success. 

 The most "educated" and therefore the most wary fish, 

 as well as the best fed, are in the old swims ; whereas, 

 with a little trouble, partly uneducated shoals unused to 

 the sweets of ground-bait may be found in new ones, and 

 often in localities where they are least expected. I once 

 found a neiv barbel hole or swim not far from Old 

 Windsor lock, and from time to time took some capital 

 fish from it. But — " Oh, no, I never mentioned" it ! — at 



