Chapter II: Part 2

3. Let your hooks be long in the shank, and of a compass somewhat inclining to roundness, but the point must stand even and straight, and the bending must be in the shank; for if the shank be straight, the point will hang outward, though when set on it may stand right, yet it will after the taking of a few fish, cause the hair at the end of the shank to stand bent, and so, consequently cause the point of the hook to lie or hang too much outward, whereas upon the same ground the bending shank will then cause the point of the hook to hang directly upwards.

When you set on your hook, do it with strong but small silk, and lay your hair upon the inside of the hook, for if on the outside the silk will cut and fret it asunder; and to avoid the fretting of the hair by the hook on the inside, smooth all your hooks upon a whetstone, from the inside to the back of the hook, slope ways.

4. Get the best cork you can without flaws or holes, as quills and pens are not of sufficient strength in strong streams; bore the cork through with a small hot iron, then put into it a quill of a fit proportion, neither too large to split it, or so small as to slip out, but so as it may stick in very closely; then pare your cork into the form of a pyramid, or small pear, and of what size you please, then on a smooth grindstone, or with pumice make it complete, for you cannot pare it so smooth as you may grind it: have corks of all sizes.

5. Get a musquet or carbine bullet, make a hole through it, and put in a strong twist, hang this on your hook to try the depth of river or pond.

6. Take so much parchment as will be about four inches broad, and five long, make the longer end round, then take so many pieces more as will make five or six partitions, sew them all together, leaving the side of the longest square open, to put your lines, spare links, hooks ready fastened, and flies ready made, into the several partitions; this will contain much, and will also lie flat and close in your pocket.

7. Have also a little whetstone about two inches long, and one quarter square; it’s much better to sharpen your hooks than a file, which either will not touch a well-tempered hook, or leave it rough but not sharp.

8. Have a piece of cane for the bob and palmer, with several boxes of divers sizes for your hooks, corks, silk, thread, lead, flies, &c.

9. Bags of linen and woollen, for all sorts of baits.

10. Have a small pole, made with a loop at the end, like that of your line, but much larger, to which must be fastened a small net, to land great fish, without which, should you want assistance, you will be in danger of losing.

11. Your pannier cannot be too light; I have seen some made of osiers, cleft into slender long splinters, and so wrought up, which is very neat, and exceeding light: you must ever carry with you store of hooks, lines, hair, silk, thread, lead, links, corks of all sizes, lest you should lose or break, as is usual, any of them, and be forced to leave your sport in quest of supplies.

CHAP. II.

DIVERS SORTS OF ANGLING; FIRST, OF THE FLY.

As there are many kinds and sorts of fish, so there are also various and different ways to take them; and, therefore, before we proceed to speak how to take each kind, we must say something in general of the several ways of angling, as necessary to the better order of our work.

Angling, therefore, may be distinguished either into fishing by day, or, which some commend, but the cold and dews caused me to dis-relish that which impaired my health, by night; and these again are of two sorts, either upon the superficies of the water, or more or less under the surface thereof: of this sort is angling with the ground-line, with lead, but no float, for the Trout, or with lead and float for all sorts of fish, or near the surface of the water for Chub, Roach, &c. or with a troll for the Pike, or a minnow for the Trout; of which more in due place.

That way of angling upon or above the water, is with cankers, palmers, caterpillars, cad-bait, or any worm bred on herbs or trees, or with flies as well natural as artificial; of these last shall be our first discourse, as comprising much of the other last-named, and as being the most pleasant and delightful part of angling.

But I must here beg leave to dissent from the opinion of such who assign a certain fly to each month, whereas I am certain, scarce any one sort of fly continues its colour and virtue one month; and generally all flies last a much shorter time, except the stone-fly, by some called the May-fly, which is bred of the water cricket, creeps out of the river, and getting under the stones by the water side, turns to a fly, and lies under the stones; the May-fly and the reddish fly with ashy grey wings. Besides the season of the year may much vary the time of their coming in; a forward Spring brings them in sooner, and a late Spring the later. Flies being creatures bred of putrefaction, take life as the heat furthers or disposes the seminal virtue by which they are generated into animation: and therefore all I can say as to time is, that your own observation must be your best instructor, when is the time that each fly comes in, and will be most acceptable to the fish, of which I shall speak more fully in the next section. Further also I have observed, that several rivers and soils produce several sorts of flies; as the mossy boggy soils have one sort peculiar to them; the clay soil, gravely and mountainous country and rivers; and a mellow light soil different from them all; yet some sorts are common to all these sorts of rivers and soils, but they are few, and differ somewhat in colour from those bred elsewhere in other soils.

In general, all sorts of flies are very good in their season, for such fish as will rise at the fly, viz. Salmon, Trout, Umber, Grayling, Bleak, Chevin, Roach, Dace, &c. Though some of these fish do love some flies better than other, except the fish named, I know not any sort or kind that will ordinarily and freely rise at the fly, though I know some who angle for Bream and Pike with artificial flies, but I judge the labour lost, and the knowledge a needless curiosity; those fish being taken much easier, especially the Pike, by other ways. All the fore-mentioned sorts of fish will sometimes take the fly much better at the top of the water, and at another time much better a little under the superficies of the water; and in this your own observation must be your constant and daily instructor; for if they will not rise to the top, try them under, it being impossible, in my opinion, to give any certain rule in this particular: also the five sorts of fish first named will take the artificial fly, so will not the other, except an oak-worm or cad-bait be put on the point of the hook, or some other worm suitable, as the fly must be, to the season.

You may also observe, what my own experience taught me, that the fish never rise eagerly and freely at any sort of fly, until that kind come to the water’s side; for though I have often, at the first coming in of some flies, which I judged they liked best got several of them, yet I could never find that they did much, if at all value them, until those sorts of flies began to flock to the rivers sides, and were to be found on the trees and bushes there in great numbers; for all sorts of flies, wherever bred, do, after a certain time, come to the banks of rivers, I suppose to moisten their bodies dried with the heat; and from the bushes and herbs there, skip and play upon the water, where the fish lie in wait for them, and after a short time die, and are not to be found: though of some kinds there come a second sort afterwards, but much less, as the orange fly; and when they thus flock to the river, then is the best season to angle with that fly. And that thou may the better find what fly they covet most at that instant, do thus:

When you come first to the river in the morning, with your rod beat upon the bushes or boughs which hang over the water, and by their falling upon the water you will see what sorts of flies are there in greatest numbers; if divers sorts, and equal in number, try them all, and you will quickly find which they most desire. Sometimes they change their fly; though not very usual, twice or thrice in one day; but ordinarily they do not seek another sort of fly till they have for some days even glutted themselves with a former kind, which is commonly when those flies die and go out. Directly contrary to our London gallants, who must have the first of every thing, when hardly to be got, but scorn the same when kindly ripe, healthful, common, and cheap; but the fish despise the first, and covet when plenty, and when that sort grow old and decay, and another cometh in plentifully, then they change; as if nature taught them, that every thing is best in its own proper season, and not so desirable when not kindly ripe, or when through long continuance it begins to lose its native worth and goodness.

I shall add a few cautions and directions in the use of the natural fly, and then proceed:

1. When you angle for Chevin, Roach, or Dace, with the fly, you must not move your fly swiftly; when you see the fish coming towards it, but rather after one or two short and slow removes, suffer the fly to glide gently with the stream towards the fish; or if in a standing or very slow water, draw the fly slowly, and not directly upon him, but sloping and sidewise by him, which will make him more eager lest it escape him; for, should you move it nimbly and quick, they will not, being fish of slow motion, follow as the Trout will.

2. When Chub, Roach, or Dace shew themselves in a sun-shiny day upon the top of the water, they are most easily caught with baits proper for them; and you may chuse from amongst them which you please to take.

3. They take an artificial fly with a cad-bait, or oak-worm, on the point of the hook; and the oak-worm, when they shew themselves is, better upon the water than under, or than the fly itself, and is more desired by them.

CHAP. III.

OF THE ARTIFICIAL FLY.

Having given these few directions for the use of the natural fly of all sorts, and shewed the time and season of their coming, and how to find them, and cautioned you in the use of them, I shall proceed to treat of the artificial fly. But here I must premise, that it is much better to learn how to make a fly by sight, than by any written direction that can possibly be expressed, in regard the terms of art do in most parts of England differ, and also several sorts of flies are called by different names; some call the fly bred of the water cricket or creeper a May-fly, and some a stone-fly; some call the cad-bait fly a May, and some call a short fly, of a sad golden green colour, with short brown wings, a May-fly: and I see no reason but all flies bred in May, are properly enough called May-flies. Therefore, except some one that hath skill, would paint them, I can neither well give their names nor describe them, without too much trouble and prolixity; nor, as I alledged, in regard of the variety of soils and rivers, describe the flies that are bred and frequent each: but the angler, as before directed, having found the fly which the fish at present affect, let him make one as like it as possibly he can, in colour, shape, proportion; and for his better imitation let him lay the natural fly before him. All this premised and considered, let him go on to make his fly, which according to my own practice I thus advise.

First, I begin to set on my hook, placing the hair on the inside of its shank, with such coloured silk as I conceive most proper for the fly, beginning at the end of the hook, and when I come to that place which I conceive most proportionable for the wings, then I place such coloured feathers there, as I apprehend most resemble the wings of the fly, and set the points of the wings towards the head; or else I run the feathers, and those must be stripped from the quill or pen, with part of it still cleaving to the feathers, round the hook, and so make them fast, if I turn the feathers round the hook; then I clip away those that are upon the back of the hook, that so, if it be possible, the point of the hook may be forced by the feathers left on the inside of the hook, to swim upwards; and by this means I conceive the stream will carry your flies’ wings in the posture of one flying; whereas if you set the points of the wings backwards, towards the bending of the hook, the stream, if the feathers be gentle as they ought, will fold the points of the wings in the bending of the hook, as I have often found by experience. After having set on the wing, I go on so far as I judge fit, till I fasten all, and then begin to make the body, and the head last; the body of the fly I make several ways; if the fly be one entire colour, then I take a worsted thread, or moccoda end, or twist wool or fur into a kind of thread, or wax a small slender silk thread, and lay wool, fur, &c. upon it, and then twist, and the material will stick to it, and then go on to make my fly small or large, as I please. If the fly, as most are, be of several colours, and those running in circles round the fly, then I either take two of these threads, fastening them first towards the bend of the hook, and so run them round, and fasten all at the wings, and then make the head; or else I lay upon the hook, wool, fur of hare, dog, fox, bear, cow, or hog, which, close to their bodies, have a fine fur, and with a silk of the other colour bind the same wool or fur down, and then fasten all: or instead of the silk running thus round the fly, you may pluck the feather from one side of those long feathers which grow about a cock or capon’s neck or tail, by some called hackle; then run the same round your fly, from head to tail, making both ends fast; but you must be sure to suit the feather answerable to the colour you are to imitate in the fly; and this way you may counterfeit those rough insects, which some call wool-beds, because of their wool-like outside and rings of divers colours, though I take them to be palmer worms, which the fish much delight in. Let me add this only, that some flies have forked tails, and some have horns, both which you must imitate with a slender hair fastened to the head or tail of your fly, when you first set on your hook, and in all things, as length, colour, as like the natural fly as possibly you can: the head is made after all the rest of the body, of silk or hair, as being of a more shining glossy colour than the other materials, as usually the head of the fly is more bright than the body, and is usually of a different colour from the body. Sometimes I make the body of the fly with a peacock’s feather, but that is only one sort of fly, whose colour nothing else that I could ever get would imitate, being the short, sad, golden, green fly I before mentioned, which I make thus: take one strain of a peacock’s feather, or if that be not sufficient, then another, wrap it about the hook, till the body be according to your mind; if your fly be of divers colours, and those lying long ways from head to tail, then I take my dubbing, and lay them on the hook long ways, one colour by another, as they are mixed in the natural fly, from head to tail, then bind all on, and fasten them with silk of the most predominant colour; and this I conceive is a more artificial way than is practised by many anglers, who use to make such a fly, all of one colour, and bind it on with silk, so that it looks like a fly with round circles, but in nothing at all resembling the fly it is intended for: the head, horns, tail, are made as before. That you may the better counterfeit all sorts of flies, get furs of all sorts and colours you can possibly procure, as of bear’s hair, foxes, cows, hogs, dogs, which close to their bodies have a fine soft hair or fur, moccado ends, crewels, and dyed wool of all colours, with feathers of cocks, capons, hens, teals, mallards, widgeons, pheasants, partridges, the feather under the mallard, teal or widgeon’s wings, and about their tails, about a cock or capon’s neck and tail, of all colours; and generally of all birds, the kite, &c. that you may make yours exactly of the colour with the natural fly. And here I will give some cautions and directions, as for the natural fly, and so pass on to baits for angling at the ground.

1. When you angle with the artificial fly, you must either fish in a river not fully cleared from some rain lately fallen, that had discoloured it; or in a moorish river, discoloured by moss or bogs; or else in a dark cloudy day, when a gentle gale of wind moves the water; but if the wind be high, yet so as you may guide your tools with advantage, they will rise in the plain deeps, and then and there you will commonly kill the best fish; but if the wind be little or none at all, you must angle in the swift streams.

2. You must keep your artificial fly in continual motion, though the day be dark, the water muddy, and the wind blow, or else the fish will discern and refuse it.

3. If you angle in a river that is mudded by rain, or passing through mosses or bogs, you must use a larger bodied fly than ordinary, which argues, that in clear rivers the fly must be smaller; and this not being observed by some, hinders their sport, and they impute their want of success to their want of the right fly, when perhaps they have it, but made too large.

4. If the water be clear and low, then use a small bodied fly with slender wings.

5. When the water begins to clear after rain, and is of a brownish colour, then a red or orange fly.

6. If the day be clear, then a light coloured fly, with slender body and wings.

7. In dark weather, as well as dark waters, your fly must be dark.

8. If the water be of a whey colour, or whitish, then use a black or brown fly: yet these six last rules do not always hold, though usually they do, or else I had omitted them.

9. Observe principally the belly of the fly, for that colour the fish observe most, as being most in their eye.

10. When you angle with an artificial fly, your line may be twice the length of your rod, except the river be much encumbered with wood and trees.

11. For every sort of fly have three; one of a lighter colour, another sadder than the natural fly, and a third of the exact colour with the fly, to suit all waters and weathers, as before.

12. I never could find, by any experience of mine own, or other man’s observation, that fish would freely and eagerly rise at the artificial fly, in any slow muddy rivers: by muddy rivers, I mean such rivers, the bottom or ground of which is slime or mud; for such as are mudded by rain, as I have already, and shall afterwards further, shew at sometimes and seasons I would choose to angle, yet in standing meers or sloughs, I have known them, in a good wind, to rise very well, but not so in slimy rivers, either the Weever, in Cheshire, or the Sow, in Staffordshire, and others in Warwickshire, &c. and the Black-water in Ulster; in the last, after many trials, though in its best streams, I could never find almost any sport, save at its influx in Lough Neagh; but there the working of the Lough makes it sandy; and they will bite also near Tom Shane’s Castle, Mountjoy, Antrim, &c. even to admiration; yet sometimes they will rise in that river a little, but not comparable to what they will do in every little Lough, in any small gale of wind. And though I have often reasoned in my own thoughts, to search out the true cause of this, yet I could never so fully satisfy my own judgment, so as to conclude any thing positively; yet have taken up these two ensuing particulars as most probable.

1. I conjectured the depth of the loughs might hinder the force of the sun beams from operating upon, or heating the mud in those rivers, which though deep, yet are not so deep as the loughs; I apprehend that to be the cause, as in great droughts fish bite but little in any river, but not at all in slimy rivers, in regard the mud is not cooled by the constant and swift motion of the river, as in gravelly or sandy rivers, where, in fit seasons, they rise most freely, and bite most eagerly, save as before in droughts, notwithstanding at that season some sport may be had, though not with the fly, whereas nothing at all will be done in muddy slow rivers.

2. My second supposition was, whether, according to that old received axiom, suo quæque, similima cœlo, the fish might not partake of the nature of the river, in which they are bred and live, as we see in men born in fenny, boggy, low, moist grounds, and thick air, who ordinarily want that present quickness, vivacity, and activity of body and mind, which persons born in dry, hilly, sandy soils and clear air, are usually endued withal. The fish participating of the nature of the muddy river, which is ever slow, for if they were swift, the stream would cleanse them from all mud, are not so quick, lively, and active, as those bred in swift, sandy, or stony rivers, and so coming to the fly with more deliberation, discern the same to be counterfeit, and forsake it; whereas, on the contrary, in stony, sandy, swift rivers, being colder, the fish are more active, and so more hungry and eager, the stream and hand keeping the fly in continual motion, they snap the same up without any pause, lest so desirable a morsel escape them.

You must have a very quick eye, a nimble rod and hand, and strike with the rising of the fish, or he instantly finds his mistake, and forces out the hook again: I could never, my eye-sight being weak, discern perfectly where my fly was, the wind and stream carrying it so to and again, that the line was never any certain direction or guide to me; but if I saw a fish rise, I use to strike if I discerned it might be within the length of my line.

Be sure in casting, that your fly falls first into the water, for if the line falls first, it scares or frightens the fish; therefore draw it back, and cast it again, that the fly may fall first.

When you try how to fit your colour to the fly, wet your fur, hair, wool, or moccado, otherwise you will fail in your work; for though when they are dry, they exactly suit the colour of the fly, yet the water will alter most colours, and make them lighter or darker.

The best way to angle with the cad-bait, is to fish with it on the top of the water, as you do with the fly; it must stand upon the shank of the hook, in like manner with the artificial fly; if it come into the bend of the hook, the fish will little or not at all value it, nor if you pull the blue gut out of it; and to make it keep that place, you must, when you set on your hook, fasten a horse hair or two under the silk, with the ends standing a very little out from under the silk, and pointing towards the line; this will keep it from sliding back into the bend; and thus used, it is a most excellent bait for a Trout. You may imitate the cad-bait, by making the body of chamois, the head of black silk.

I might here notice several sorts of flies, with the colours that are used to make them; but for the reasons before given, that their colours alter in several rivers and soils, and also because, though I name the colours, yet it is not easy to choose that colour by any description, except so largely performed as would be over large, and swell this small piece beyond my intended conciseness, which are easy and short, if rightly observed, are full enough, and sufficient for making and finding out all sorts of flies in all rivers. I shall only add, that the Salmon flies must be made with wings standing one behind the other, whether two or four; also he delights in the most gaudy and orient colours you can choose; the wings I mean chiefly, if not altogether, with long tails and wings.

CHAP. IV.

OF ANGLING AT THE GROUND.

Now we are come to the second part of angling, viz. under the water, which if it be with the ground-line for the Trout, then you must not use any float at all, only a plumb of lead, which I would wish might be a small bullet, the better to roll on the ground; and it must also be lighter or heavier, as the stream runs swift or slow, and you must place it about nine inches or a foot from the hook; the lead must run upon the ground, and you must keep your line as straight as possible, yet by no means so as to raise the lead from the ground; your top must be very gentle, that the fish may more easily, and to himself insensibly, run away with the bait, and not be scared with the stiffness of the rod; and if you make your top of black thorn and whale-bone, as I before directed, it will conduce much to this purpose: neither must you strike so soon as you feel the fish bite, but slack your line a little, that so he may more securely swallow the bait, and hook himself, which he will sometimes do, especially if he be a good one; the least jerk, however, hooks him, and indeed you can scarce strike too easily. Your tackle must be very fine and slender, and so you will have more sport than if you had strong lines, which frighten the fish, but the slender line is easily broke; with a small jerk. Morning and evening are the best times for the ground-line for a Trout, in clear weather and water, but in cloudy weather, or muddy water, you may angle at ground all day.

2. You may also in the night angle for the Trout with two great garden worms, hanging as equally in length as you can place them on your hook; cast them from you as you would cast the fly, and draw them to you again upon the top of the water, and not suffer them to sink; therefore you must use no lead this way of angling; when you hear the fish rise, give some time for him to gorge your bait, as at the ground, then strike gently. If he will not take them at the top, add some lead, and try at the ground, as in the day time; when you feel him bite, order yourself as in day angling at the ground. Usually the best Trouts bite in the night, and will rise in the still deeps, but not ordinarily in the stream.

3. You may angle also with a minnow for the Trout, which you must put on your hook thus: first, put your hook through the very point of his lower chap, and draw it quite through; then put your hook in at his mouth, and bring the point to his tail, then draw your line straight, and it will bring him into a round compass, and close his mouth that no water gets in, which you must avoid; or you may stitch up his mouth; or you may, when you have set on your hook, fasten some bristles under the silk, leaving the points about a straw’s breadth and half, or almost half an inch standing out towards the line, which will keep him from slipping back. You may also imitate the minnow as well as the fly, but it must be done by an artist with the needle.

You must also have a swivel or turn, placed about a yard or more from your hook, observing you need no lead on your line, for you must continually draw your bait up the stream, near the top of the water. If you strike a large Trout, and it should break either your hook or line, or get off, then near to her hole, if you can discover it, or the place you struck her, fix a short stick in the water, and with your knife loose a small piece of the rind, so as you may lay your line in it, and yet the bark be close enough to keep your line in, that it slip not out, nor the stream carry it away: bait your hook with a garden or lob-worm, your hook and line being very strong, let the bait hang a foot from the stick, then fasten the other end of your line to some stick or bough in the bank, and within one hour, you may be sure of her, if all your tackle hold.

The next way of angling is with a troll for the Pike, which is very delightful; you may buy your troll ready made, therefore I shall not trouble myself to describe it, only let it have a winch to wind it up withall. For this kind of fish, your tackle must be strong, your rod must not be very slender at the top, where you must place a small slender ring for your line to run through; let your line be silk, at least two yards next the hook, and the rest of strong shoe-maker’s thread; your hook double, and strongly armed with wire, for above a foot; then with a probe or needle, you must draw the wire in at the fish’s mouth and out at the tail, that so the hook may lie in the mouth of the fish, and both the points on either side; upon the shank of the hook fasten some lead very smooth, that it go into the fish’s mouth, and sink her with the head downward, as though she had been playing on the top of the water, and were returning to the bottom; your bait may be small Roach, Dace, Gudgeon, Loach, or sometimes a Frog; your hook thus baited, you must tie the tail of the fish close and fast to the wire, or else with drawing to and again, the fish will rend off the hook, or, which I judge neater, with a needle and strong thread, stitch through the fish on either side the wire, and tie it very fast: all being thus fitted, cast your fish up and down in such places as you know Pike frequent, observing still, that he sink some depth before you pull him up again. When the Pike rises, if it be not sunk deep, you may see the water move, or at least you may feel him; then slacken your line, and give him length enough to run away to his hold, whither he will go directly, and there pouch it, ever beginning, as you may observe, with the head swallowing that first, thus let him lie, until you see the line move in the water, and then you may certainly conclude he hath pouched your bait, and rangeth abroad for more; then with your troll wind up your line, till you think you have it almost straight, then with a smart jerk hook him, and make your pleasure to your content. Some use no rod at all, but hold the line in links on their hand, using lead and float. Others use a very great hook, with the hook at the tail of the fish, and when the Pike rises, then they strike at the first pull. Others put a strong string or thread in at the mouth of the bait, and out at one of the gills; then over the head, and in at the other gill, and so tie the bait to the hook, leaving a little length of the thread or string betwixt the fish and the hook, that so the Pike may turn the head of the bait, the better to swallow it, and then as before; after some pause, strike. Some tie the bait-hook and line to a bladder or bundle of flags, or bull-rushes, fastening the line very gently in the cleft of a small stick, to hold the bait from sinking more than its allowed length, half a yard. The stick must be fastened to the bladder or flags, to which the line being tied, that it may easily unfold and run to its length, and so give the Pike liberty to run away with the bait, and by the bladder or flags, recover their line again. You must observe this way to turn off your bait with the wind or stream, that they may carry it away. Some use, for more sport, if the Pike be a great one, to tie the same to the foot of a goose, which the Pike, if large, will sometimes pull under the water. Before I proceed to give you each sort of bait for every kind of fish, give me leave to add a caution or two, for the ground-line and fishing, as I did for the natural and artificial fly, and then we shall go on.

There are two ways of fishing for Eels, proper and peculiar to that fish alone; the first is termed by some, angling for Eels, which is thus: take a short strong rod, and exceeding strong line, with a little compassed, but strong hook, which you must bait with a large well-scoured red worm, then place the end of the hook very easily in a cleft of a stick, that it may very easily slip out; with this stick and hook thus baited, search for holes under stones, timbers, roots, or about flood-gates; if there be a good Eel, give her time, and she will take it; but be sure she has gorged it, and then you may conclude, if your tackling hold, she is your own.

The other way is called bobbing for Eels, which is thus: take the largest garden worms, scour them well, and with a needle run a very strong thread or silk through them from end to end; take so many as that at last you may wrap them about a board, for your hand will be too narrow, a dozen times at least, then tie them fast with the other two ends of the thread or silk, that they may hang in so many long bouts or hanks; then fasten all to a strong cord, and something more than a handful above the worms, fasten a plumb of lead, of about three quarters of a pound, making your cord sure to a long and strong pole; with these worms thus ordered, you must fish in a muddy water, and you will feel the Eels tug strongly at them; when you think they have swallowed them as far as they can, gently draw up your worms and Eels, and when you have them near the top of the water, hoist them amain to land; and thus you may take three or four at once, and good ones, if there be store.

1. When you angle at ground, keep your line as straight as possible, suffering none of it to lie in the water, because it hinders the nimble jerk of the rod; but if, as sometimes it will happen, that you cannot avoid but some little will lie in the water, yet keep it in the stream above your float, by no means below it.

2. When you angle at ground for small fish, put two hooks to your line, fastened together thus: lay the two hooks together, then draw the one shorter than the other by nine inches, this will cause the other end to over-reach as much, as the other is shorter at the hooks, then turn that end back, and with a water-knot, in which you must make both the links to fasten, tie them so as both links may hang close together, and not come out at both ends of the knot. Then upon that link which hangeth longest, fasten your lead near a foot above the hook; put upon your hooks two different baits, and so you may try, with more ease and less time, what bait the fish love best; and also very often, as I have done, take two fish at once with one rod. You have also, by this experience, one bait for such as feed close upon the ground, as Gudgeon, Flounder, &c. and another for such as feed a little higher, as Roach, Dace, &c.

3. Some use to lead their lines heavily, and to set their float about a foot or more from the end of the rod, with a little lead to buoy it up, and thus in violent swift streams, they avoid the offence of a float, and yet perfectly discern the biting of the fish, and so order themselves accordingly; but this has its inconvenience, viz. the lying of the line in the water.

4. Give all fish time to gorge the bait, and be not over hasty, except you angle with such tender baits as will not endure nibbling at, but must upon every touch be struck at, as sheep’s blood and flies, which are taken away at the first pull of the fish, and therefore enforce you, at the first touch, to try your fortune.

Now we are to speak next of baits, more particularly proper for every fish, wherein I shall observe this method, first to name the fish, then the baits, according as my experience hath proved them grateful to the fish; and to place them as near as I can in such order as they come in season, though many of them are in season at one instant of time, and equally good. I would not be understood, as if when a new bait comes in, the old one were antiquated and useless; for I know the worm lasts all the year, flies all the Summer, one sort of bob-worm all the Winter, the other under cow-dung, in June and July; but I intimate that some are found when others are not in rerum natura.

CHAP. V.

OF ALL SORTS OF BAITS FOR EACH KIND OF FISH, AND HOW TO FIND AND KEEP THEM.

The SALMON takes the artificial fly very well; but you must use a troll, as for the Pike, or he, being a strong fish, will hazard your line, except you give him length: his flies must be much larger than you use for other fish, the wings very long, two or four, behind one another, with very long tails; his chiefest ground-bait a great garden or lob-worm.

2. The TROUT takes all sorts of worms, especially brandlings; all sorts of flies, the minnow, young frogs, marsh-worm, dock-worm, flag-worm, all sorts of cad-bait, bob, palmers, caterpillars, gentles, wasps, hornets, dores, bees, grasshoppers, cankers, and bark-worm; he is a ravenous, greedy fish, and loveth a large bait at ground, and you must fit him accordingly.

3. The UMBER, or GRAYLING, is generally taken with the same baits as the Trout; he is an eager fish, biteth freely, and will rise often at the same fly, if you prick him not.

The BARBEL bites best at great red worms, well scoured in moss; gentles, cheese, or paste, made of cheese with suet, maggots, and red worms; feed much for this fish.

4. CARP and TENCH love the largest red worms, the

especially if they smell much of tar; to which end you may, some small time before you use them, take so many as you will use at that time, and put them by themselves in a little tar, but let them not lie long lest it kill them; paste also of all sorts, made with strong-scented oils, tar, bread, grain boiled soft, maggots, gentles, marsh-worm, flag-worm, especially; feed much and often for these fish.

The PIKE takes all sorts of baits, save the Fly, Gudgeon, Roach, Dace,

and young frogs in Summer. You may halter him thus: fasten a strong line with a snare at the end of it to a pole, which if you go circumspectly to work, he will permit you to put it over his head, and then you must by strength, hoist him to land.

EELS take great red worms, beef, wasps, guts of fowls, and the minnow. Bait night-hooks for him with small Roach, the hook must lie in the mouth of the fish, as for the Pike; this way takes the greatest Eels.

7. The GUDGEON, RUFF, and BLEAK, take the smallest red worms, cad-bait, gentles, and wasps. The BLEAK takes the natural or artificial fly, especially in the evening.

8. The RUFF taketh the same baits as the PEARCH, save that you must have lesser worms, he being a smaller fish.

9. For ROACH and DACE take small worms, cad-bait, flies, bobs, sheep’s blood, small white snails, all sorts of worms bred on herbs or trees, paste, wasps, and gnats.

The BLEAK is an eager fish, and takes the same baits as the ROACH, only they must be less. You may angle for him with as many hooks on your line at once, as you can conveniently fasten on it.

10. The CHEVIN or CHUB, all sorts of earth-worms, bob, the minnow, flies of all sorts, cad-bait, all sorts of worms bred on herbs and trees, especially oak-worms, young frogs, wasps, bees, or grasshoppers, on the top of the water; cheese, grain, beetles, a great brown fly that lives on the oak, black snails, their bellies slit that the white appear; he loves a large bait, as a wasp, colwort-worm, and then a wasp altogether.

11. The BREAM takes red worms, especially those that are got at the root of a great Dock, it lies wrapped up in a knot, or round clue; paste, flag-worms, wasps, green-flies, butter-flies, or a grasshopper, his legs being cut off.

12. FLOUNDER, SHAD, and MULLET, love red worms of all sorts, wasps, and gentles.

As for the MINNOW, LOACH, BULL-HEAD, or

being usually children’s recreation, I once purposed to have omitted them wholly, but considering they often are baits for better fish, as Trout, Pike, Eel, &c. Neither could this discourse be general, if they were omitted; and though I should wave mentioning them, yet I cannot forget them, who have so often vexed me with their unwelcome eagerness; for the

will have a part in the play, if you come where he is; which is almost every where, you need not seek him: I find him much oftener than I desire, it is only in deep still places which he least frequents, and is not over curious in his baits; any thing will serve that he can swallow, and he will strain hard for what he cannot gorge: but chiefly likes small red worms, cad-bait, worms bred on trees, and wasps.

The LOACH and BULL-HEAD are much of the same diet; but their principal bait is small red worms.

Having spoken before of pastes, I shall now shew how you may make the same; and though there be as many kinds as men have fancies, yet I esteem these best.

1. Take the tenderest part of the leg of a young rabbit, virgin wax, and sheep’s-suet; beat them in a mortar till they be perfectly incorporated, then with a little clarified honey, temper them before the fire into a paste.

2. Sheep’s-kidney suet, as much cheese, fine flower or manchet, make it into a paste; soften it with clarified honey.

3. Sheep’s blood, cheese, fine manchet, clarified honey; make all into a paste.

4. Sheep’s blood, saffron, and fine manchet; make all into a paste.

You may add to any paste, coculus-indiæ, assa-fœtida, oil of polipody of the oak, of lignum vitæ, of ivy, or the gum of ivy dissolved: I judge there is virtue in these oils, and gum especially, which I would add to all pastes I make, as also a little flax to keep the paste, that it wash not off the hook.

CHAP. VI.

TO KEEP YOUR BAITS.

1. Paste will keep very long, if you put virgin wax and clarified honey into it, and stick well on the hook, if you beat cotton wool, or flax into it, when you make your paste.

2. Put your worms into very good long moss, whether white, red, or green, matters not; wash it well, and cleanse it from all earth and filth, wring it very dry, then put your worms into an earthen pot, cover it close that they crawl not out; set it in a cool place in Summer, and in Winter in a warm place, that the frost kill them not; every third day in Summer change your moss, and once in the week in Winter; the longer you keep them before you use them the better: clean scouring your worms makes them clear, red, tough, and to live long on the hook, and to keep colour, and therefore more desireable to the fish: a little Bol Amoniac put to them, will much further your desire, and scour them in a short time: or you may put them all night in water, and they will scour themselves, which will weaken them; but a few hours in good moss will recover them. Lest your worms die, you may feed them with crumbs of bread and milk, or fine flour and milk, or the yolk of an egg, and sweet cream coagulated over the fire, given to them a little and often; sometimes also put to them earth cast out of a grave, the newer the grave the better; I mean the shorter time the party hath been buried, you will find the fish will exceedingly covet them after this earth, and here you may gather what gum that is, which J. D. in his _Secrets of Angling_, calls ‘Gum of Life.’

3. You must keep all other sorts of worms with the leaves of those trees and herbs on which they are bred, renewing the leaves often in a day, and put in fresh for the old ones: the boxes you keep them in must have a few small holes to let in air.

4. Keep gentles or maggots with dead flesh, beast’s livers, or suet; cleanse or scour them in meal, or bran, which is better; you may breed them by pricking a beast’s liver full of holes, hang it in the sun in Summer time; set an old course barrel, or small firkin, with clay and bran in it, into which they will drop, and cleanse themselves in it.

5. Cad-bait cannot endure the wind and cold, therefore keep them in a thick woollen bag, with some gravel amongst them: wet them once a day, at least, if in the house, but often in the hot weather: when you carry them forth, fill the bag full of water, then hold the mouth close, that they drop not out, and so let the water run from them; I have thus kept them three weeks, or you may put them into an earthern pot full of water, with some gravel at the bottom, and take them forth into your bag as you use them.

6. The spawn of some fish is a good bait, to be used at such time as that fish is spawning: some days before they spawn they will bite eagerly; if you take one that is full-bellied, take out the spawn, boil it so hard as to stick on your hook, and so use it; or not boil it at all, the spawn of SALMON is the best of all sorts of spawn.

7. I have observed, that CHEVIN, ROACH, and

bite much better at the oak-worm, or any worm bred on herbs and trees, especially if you angle with the same, when they shew themselves at the top of the water, as with the natural fly, than if you use it under: for I have observed, that when a gale of wind shakes the trees, the worms fall into the water, and presently rise and float on the top, where I have seen the fish rise at them, as at flies, which taught me this experience; and indeed they sink not, till tost and beaten by the stream, and so die and lose their colour; the fish then, as you may see by your own on your hook, do not much esteem them.

8. There are two, some say three, sorts of cad-bait; the one bred under stones, that lie hollow in shallow rivers, or small brooks, in a very fine gravelly case or husk, these are yellow when ripe: the other in old pits, ponds, or slow running rivers, or ditches, in cases or husks of straw, sticks, or rushes, these are green when ripe: both are excellent for TROUT, used as before directed, and for most sorts of small fish. The green sort, which is bred in pits, ponds, or ditches, may be found in March, before the other yellow ones comes in; the other yellow ones come in season with May, or the end of April, and go out in July: a second sort, but smaller, come in again in August.

9. Yellow bobs are also of two sorts, the one bred in mellow light soils, and gathered after the plough, when the land is first broken up from grazing, and are in season in the Winter till March; the other sort is bred under cow-dung, hath a red head; and these are in season in the Summer only: scour them in bran, or dry moss, or meal.

10. Bark-worms are found under the bark of an oak, ash, alder, and birch, especially if they lie a year or more after they have fallen, you may find a great white worm, with a brown head, something resembling a dore bee, or humble-bee, this is in season all the year, especially from September until June, or mid-May; the Umber covets this bait above any, save fly, and cad-bait; you may also find this worm in the body of a rotten alder, if you break it with an axe or beetle; but be careful only to shake the tree in pieces with beating, and crush not the worm: you may also find him under the bark of the stump of a tree, if decayed.