336 THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



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Brief Remarks on Angling in every Month of the Year. 

 During the Winter quarter, the Angler must not ex- 

 pect many days, or even hours, when he can indulge 

 in his favourite amusement ; for the pinching frost 

 which binds up every water in icy chains, is scarcely 

 less favourable than the boisterous winds and heavy 

 rains, which cause the rivers to overflow and inundate 

 the low lands around them, and not only disturb and 

 discolour the waters, but even render them, in many 

 cases, inaccessible. This, therefore, is the proper time 

 for the Angler to examine his tackle, and repair what- 

 ever is amiss ; to see whether his stock of the various 

 articles requisite is complete, and, if not, to add to it 

 whatever is wanting. The rods should be now exam- 

 ined, and repaired, if any repairs are wanting, and, above 

 all, new varnishing should be done at this season 5 and, 

 by the way, let me advise my angling friends to be par- 

 ticular in scraping off the old varnish before they put 

 on new, or, if they even send their rods from home to 

 be re-varnished, let them take the trouble to scrape off 

 the old themselves. Nothing should be omitted, on 

 the part of the Angler, to make his apparatus as com- 

 plete as possible, that he may not be employed in ma- 

 king or repairing tackle, at a season when his time 

 might be better employed in using it. Gay has given || 

 the Fisherman some wholesome advice on this subject, 

 in the following beautiful lines, in the first canto of his 

 Rural Sports : 



