The angler's guide Author:James Martin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. BABBEL PISHING—THE B.OD—THE LINE THE FLOAT—THE HOOK—THE BAITS THE GROTTND-BAITS—PLACES AND TIMES TO FISH FOR BABBEL THE WAY TO KILL BARBEL ... more »SONG— THE BAEBEL. Some persons are very fond of angling for barbel, chiefly because he is such a strong and game fish, and is often taken of a great weight. We have ourselves many times sat for several hours, anticipating the undescribable pleasures arising from a contest with one, though after all our endeavours we have frequently been disappointed. THE ROD. A rod made of light bamboo, is the best you can have for barbel fishing; it should be from twelve to fifteen feet in length, made very strong, stiff and pliable, with a small ring upon each joint, and two rings round the bottom joint, in which to fasten on your winch.THE LINE. You must be very particular in the choice of your line for barbel fishing, or it is not unlikely that it will be broken half a dozen times in the course of a day, if they are on the feed and run large. It should be made of the very best and strongest gut that can be procured. It must also be so made up, that there shall not be any sign of a blemish in it, for if there be, the very first fish you hook will find it out, and away he'll go, perhaps with the greatest part of it hanging to his mouth. We have taken them with two hooks in the mouth, to which have been attached several feet of gut, which they have borne away triumphantly from some unfortunate anglers who could not hold them. You must take care also, that the piece of gut on which your hook is tied is not too coarse, for if it is, they will not touch the bait; it must be quite round, and straight, and as fine as you can dare venture to fish with. Many anglers are not particular enough in this respect, and that is why the...« less