THE COMPLETE ANGLER 107 



First, let your rod be light, and very gentle ; I take 

 the best to be of two pieces : and let not your line 

 exceed, especially for three or four links next to the 

 hook, I say, not exceed three or four hairs at the most, 

 though you may fish a little stronger above, in the upper 

 part of your line ; but if you can attain to angle with 

 one hair, you shall have more rises, and catch more 

 fish. Now you must be sure not to cumber yourself 

 with too long a line, as most do. And before you begin 

 to angle, cast to have the wind on your back ; and the 

 sun, if it shines, to be before you ; and to fish down 

 the stream ; and carry the point or top of your rod 

 downward, by which means, the shadow of yourself 

 and rod too, will be least offensive to the fish ; for the 

 sight of any shade amazes the fish, and spoils your 

 sport of which you must take a great care. 



In the middle of March, till which time, a man should 

 not, in honesty, catch a trout or in April, if the weather 

 be dark, or a little windy or cloudy, the best fishing is 

 with the palmer-worm, of which I last spoke to you ; but 

 of these there be divers kinds, or at least of divers colours : 

 these and the May-fly are the ground of all fly-angling, 

 which are to be thus made : 



First, you must arm your hook with the line in the 

 inside of it, then take your scissors, and cut so much 

 of a brown mallard's feather, as in your own reason 

 will make the wings of it, you having withal regard 

 to the bigness or littleness of your hook ; then lay the 

 outmost part of your feather next to your hook, then 

 the point of your feather next the shank of your hook ; 

 and having so done, whip it three or four times about 

 the hook with the same silk with which your hook was 

 armed ; and, having made the silk fast, take the hackle 

 of a cock or capon's neck, or a plover's top, which is 

 usually better ; take off the one side of the feather, 

 and then take the hackle, silk, or crewel, gold or silver 



