The Thames Angler

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860 Excerpt: ...Some say the Barbel attains a weight of 15 lbs. or 20 lbs.; but these are instances of very rare occurrence, as it seldom exceeds 8 lbs. or 10 lbs. The largest Barbel I ever caught weighed 7 3 lbs., and it was taken by roach tackle in the deep just helow Teddington Weir. The fish spawn early in June: Walton says in April; hut perhaps they vary according to seasons and situations. They never cast spawn until the fifth or sixth year. The two most general modes of fishing for Barbel are with the ledger and the float; the former consists of a yard of gut, having four inches of gimp or coarse line in the middle, on which is placed a large bullet or lead, with a hole through its centre, which is kept in its position by a fixed shot at the end of the gimp; one end of the gut is then fastened to the running line, and the other bound on a No. 1, 2, or 3 hook with a long shank, which is baited with a large and well-scoured lob-worm, the hook being entered at the head of the worm, and threaded all the way down, care being taken not to break the skin. Throw the bait out into the hole where the Barbel are supposed to be, taking care that you have ample line undone to prevent it from hanging as it is cast into the stream. Keep the line tight, and when a bite is felt, strike immediately; and with ledger tackle, as the Barbel has a leathery mouth, there is little chance of losing him. When the water is very clear, it will be found a good plan to surround your hook with a ball of ground-bait, only allowing the worm to hang out. Another mode of barbel fishing (which is termed travelling) is with a float and No. 4 or 5 hook, baited with a lob-worm, greaves, or gentles. The bait should drag the ground, and the line be allowed to travel as far from you as possible: when a fish ...