14 best's art of angling. 



ccentle, that the fisbmav the more insensibly nm 

 away with the bait, ananot be checked by its be- 

 ing too stiff. 



For all fishes that bite tenderly a rod made of 

 cane, reed, or bamboo, is the best; only be care- 

 ful when vou chuse such a one that it will strike 

 / well, and that the medium between the ferrel and 



the joint tliat goes in, is not cut too fine ; for if 

 it is, when you strike a good tish, it is ten to one 

 you will lose some part of your rod, your line, 

 and of course the fish ; a misfortune that has 

 often happened to me, before I was acquainted 

 with the above rule. 



A general rod, is one which serves for trolling, 

 dJbbing, and the ground ; for the former purpose 

 small brass rings must be whipped all the way 

 up it, at about a foot distance, for the trolling 

 line to run through ; it may likewise be bored 

 in the stock to hold the tops you are not using; 

 that which you use for the troll must he strong, 

 and have a ring on the top whipped on with a 

 piece of quill, to prevent the line being cut, 

 when the voracious pike runs off with 3'our bait 

 to his hold : one of the others must not be so 

 stiff, which will serve for carps, tenches. Sec. and 

 the other fine and elastic for dace and roach 

 fishing. These kind of rods, which are called 

 bag-rodsy and go up in a small compass, are to 

 be had at all the fishing-tackle shops in Lon- 

 don. 



These rods when put altogether, should be 

 sixteen feet long, which will do for pike or bar- 

 bel ; they should be ringed to a nicety, using a 

 brass-multiplying-winch at the butt, and a strong 

 spike, which will be found of great use ; for by 

 retiring i^rom the river, and fixing the rod up- 

 right in the ground, (by means of the spike) 



