FLY-FISHING FOR TROUT 107 



salmon, and have observed that he would usually 



190 take three or four worms out of his bag, and put them 

 into a little box in his pocket, where he would usually 

 let them continue half an hour, or more, before he 

 would bait his hook with them. I have asked him 

 his reason, and he has replied he did but pick the best 

 out to be in readiness against he baited his hook the 

 next time ; but he has been observed, both by others 

 and myself, to catch more fish than I, or any other 

 body that has ever gone a-fishing with him, could do ; 

 and especially salmons. And I have been told lately, 



200 by one of his most intimate and secret friends, that 

 the box in which he put those worms was anointed 

 with a drop (or two, or three) of the oil of ivy-berries, 

 made by expression or infusion ; and told that, by 

 the worms remaining in that box an hour (or a like 

 time) they had incorporated a kind of smell that was 

 irresistibly attractive, enough to force any fish within 

 the smell of them to bite. But now, let's again go 

 and see what interest the trouts will pay us for 

 our angle-rods lying so long and so quietly in the 



210 water for their use. Come, scholar ! which will you 

 take up ? 



Ven. Which you think, master. 

 Pise. Why, you shall take up that ! for I am 

 certain, by viewing the line, it has a fish at it. Look 

 you, scholar ! well done ! Come, now take up the 

 other too well! now you have caught a leash of 

 trouts this day. And now let's move towards our 

 lodging, and drink a draught of red-cow's milk as we 

 go, and give the pretty milkmaid and her honest 



220 mother a brace of trouts for their supper. 



Ven. Master, I like your motion very well ; and 



