594 MODERN FARRIER. 



Too much wind is never convenient for fishing, 

 thoucrh a Uttle is rather advantageous than otherwise. 

 It is bad fishing about sheep-shearing time, in waters 

 where the sheep are washed; for the fish glut them- 

 selves in such a manner with what is washed from 

 these creatures, that they will not take any bait till 

 that season is over. 



North and east winds are enemies to fishing; and 

 it is not right to fish soon after the time of the fish 

 spawning, for they are then sick, and have no great 

 appetite, so that they do not bite readil}\ All fish 

 have a natural fore-knowledge of a shower of rain, 

 and when clouds are coming on that will fall in rain, 

 they will not bite ; the expert angler, who is used 

 to this, often escapes being wet to the skin by it. 



Fishing-rods. 



Fishing-rods are of various sorts, as, 1. a troller or 

 trolling-rod, which has a ring at the end of the rod 

 for the line to go through when it runs off a reel. 

 2. A whipper or whipping-rod, a top-rod that is 

 weak in the middle, and top-heavy, but all slender 

 and fine. 3. A dopper, which is a strong rod, and 

 very light. 4. A snapper, or snap-rod, that is, a 

 strong pole, peculiarly used for the pike. 5. A bot- 

 tom-rod, being the same as the dopper, but some- 

 what more pliable. 6. A sniggling or poking-stick, 

 a forked stick, having a short strong line, with a 

 needle, baited with a lob-worm ; this is only for eels 

 in their holes. 



Fishintr-rods are made of different materials and 

 strength, according to the purposes for which they 

 are used : in fishing with more than one hair, and with 

 a silk-worm gut, red deal is reckoned the best, with 

 hickery top, and the length of the whole rod should 

 be about four yards ; but for a small fly and single 

 hair, the length of three yards will be sufficient, 

 with the top of yellowish hickery, and about nine 

 inches of whalebone, near as long as the stock, which 



