THE BARBEL. 19 



when ground-baiting with greaves, .of which barbel 

 are excessively fond, though they soon sicken of it. 

 In medium-sized pools and weirs, I have had 

 excellent sport after a mild baiting with 500 to 

 1,000 lobworms, pitched in loose, broken up, the 

 afternoon or evening before fishing, just scattering 

 a handful or two more of worms when commencing 

 to fish. In straight runs, or places where the 

 groundbait is carried directly away, the worms 

 should be enclosed in clay. Knead the clay with 

 bran, make a cavity in a lump, put in a handful 

 of worms and close the clay over and around them ; 

 the weight of clay keeps the worms well down and 

 in the swim. This clay and worm baiting is 

 troublesome if the clay is difficult to procure 

 or has to be carried some distance. I would 

 emphasise the importance of clean, smooth clay. 

 It should have bran mixed with it, as some of the 

 bran scatters in the water, helping to attract the 

 fish. 



The question of baiting swims and retaining 

 these swims is a very vexed one on the Thames, 

 and rather bitter feelings prevail on the subject. 

 Should one man bait a swim, it is arrant poaching 

 on the part of another to take advantage of that 

 baiting for his own sport. The professional who 

 deliberately allows, or takes a customer to fish a 

 swim baited by some one else would never, after 

 such a flagrant breach of etiquette, be employed 

 by me. There are two sides to the question, 

 however, as I cannot consider any one has a right 

 to bait a swim and say that he only shall fish that 

 swim for perhaps a week straight off; this may 

 mean the monopoly of the best barbel-swim 

 in a mile or more of water. Again, rypecks are 



C 2 



