74 LITERA TURE OF SEA AND RIVER FISHING. 



most anglers know by heart, but if immediately after the 

 encomiums on Walton the bathos be not too painful, we 

 will reproduce the famous " frog " passage, and directions 

 for " live-baiting." This is the first passage — 



" Put your hook into his mouth, which you may easily do from 

 the middle of April till August ; and then the frog's mouth grows 

 up, and he continues so for at least six months without eating, 

 but is sustained, none but He whose name is Wonderful knows 

 how : I say, pat your hook, I mean the arming-wire, through his 

 mouth and out at his gills ; and then with a fine needle and silk sew 

 the upper part of his leg, with only one stitch, to the arming-wire of 

 your hook ; or tie the frog's leg, above the upper joint, to the 

 armed-wire ; and, in so doing, use him as though you loved him, 

 that is, harm him as little as you may possibly, that he may live 

 the longer." 



And this is the second, which shows that Walton did not 

 repudiate the ideas of Dame Juliana Berners, or of his 

 friend Barker : — 



" Or if you bait your hooks thus with live fish or frogs, and in 

 a windy day, fasten them thus to a bough or bundle of straw, and 

 by the help of that wind can get them to move across a pond or 

 mere, you are like to stand still on the shore and see sport 

 presently, if there be any store of pikes. Or these live baits 

 may make sport, being tied about the body or wings of a goose 

 or duck, and she chased over a pond. And the like may be done 

 with turning three, or four live baits, thus fastened to bladders, 

 or boughs, or bottles of hay or flags, to swim down a river, 

 whilst you walk quietly alone on the shore, and are still in 

 expectation of sport. The rest must be taught you by practice ; 

 for time will not allow me to say more of this kind of fishing 

 with live baits." 



The " bottles of hay or flags " thus early suggest the 

 " liggering " business, by which sportsmen (save the mark) 



