76 LITERATURE OF SEA AND RIVER FISHING. 



fore by all means keep out of sight, either by sheltering yourself 

 behind some bush or tree, or by standing so far off the River's 

 side, that you can see nothing but your flie or flote \ to effect this, 

 a long Rod at ground, and a long Line with the artificial flie, may 

 be of use to you. And here I meet with two different opinions 

 and practices ; some always cast their flie and bait up the water, 

 and so they say nothing occurreth to Fishes sight but the Line : 

 others fish down the River, and so suppose (the Rod and Line 

 being long) the quantity of water takes away or at least lesseneth 

 the Fishes sight : but the other affirm, that Rod and Line, and 

 perhaps yourself, are seen also. In this difference of opinions I 

 shall only say, in small Brooks you may angle upwards, or else in 

 great Rivers you must wade, as I have known some, who thereby 

 got the Sciatica, and I would not wish you to purchase pleasure at 

 so dear a rate ; besides, casting up the River you cannot keep 

 your Line out of the water, which we noted for a fault before ; 

 and they that are this way confess that if in casting your flie, the 

 Line fall into the water before it, the flie were better uncast, 

 because it frights the Fish ; then certainly it must do it this way, 

 whether the flie fall first or not, the Line must first come to the 

 Fish and fall on him, which undoubtedly will fright him : there- 

 fore my opinion is that you angle down the River, for the other 

 you traverse twice so much, and beat not so much ground as 

 downwards." 



The length of this last sentence, its composition and 

 punctuation, are to be noted. The Colonel was hardly 

 good company for Walton and Cotton. 



Cotton, Walton's other collaborateur in the Universal 

 Angler (or fifth edition), and great personal friend, has 

 already been mentioned. His remarks on trout and 

 grayling fishing are still for the most part sound ; and 

 his literary work, which like Walton he threw into dialogue 

 form, does not fall far below the standard of " the master." 

 It was Walton, Cotton, and Venables, the three joint 

 parents of the Universal Angler, that the anonymous 



