148 THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



as they are properly a sea fish, only leave it to 

 spawn : they are generally considered a very sweet 

 Fish, light and easy of digestion. In the creeks 

 from Blackwall to Bromley, Stratford, and West- 

 Ham, also in the Docks, and the canal at Limehouse, 

 and in the other Docks, &c., on the opposie side 

 of the river, they are taken either with dead-lines 

 or floated, in the same manner as Eelsj in fact, 

 when you angle for Eels in this part, you angle for 

 Flounders also, as they will both take the same baits, 

 and at the same season ; it also frequently happens 

 that you take both Flounders and Eels, promiscuous- 

 ly, when fishing for Eels with a floated line, on which 

 you may put two or three hooks, about nine inches 

 • above each other. — See fishing for Eels with a floated 

 line. 



The colour of the Flounder is generally a dark mot- 

 tled olive : they spawn about March, and are in sea- 

 son until Winter. Those caught in the river Thames 

 are very sweet and firm ; and, I think, superior 

 to any that are brought to market from the sea. 

 They delight to lie among sand, gravelly banks, 

 and bottoms : they will likewise thrive in clean gra- 

 velly ponds, particularly if a stream runs through 

 it. — Note, when angling for Flounders in rivers near 

 the sea, you will meet with Flounders much larger 

 than those we take near London 5 therefore, in such 

 case, use a hook of No. 6 or 7> for, in some tide rivers, 

 you may find Flounders weighing from one to two 



