THE COMPLETE ANGLER 233 



let your hair be clean washed ere you go about to twist it ; 

 and then choose not only the clearest hair for it, but 

 hairs that be of an equal bigness, for such do usually 

 stretch altogether, and break altogether, which hairs of 

 an unequal bigness never do, but break singly, and so 

 deceive the angler that trusts to them. 



When you have twisted your links, lay them in water 

 for a quarter of an hour at least, and then twist them 

 over again, before you tie them into a line : for those 

 that do not so, shall usually find their line to have 

 a hair or two shrink, and be shorter than the rest at 

 the first fishing with it, which is so much of the strength 

 of the line lost for want of first watering it and then 

 re-twisting it ; and this is most visible in a seven-hair 

 line, one of those which hath always a black hair in the 

 middle. 



And for dyeing of your hairs, do it thus : take a pint 

 of strong ale, half a pound of soot, and a little quantity 

 of the juice of walnut-tree leaves, and an equal quantity 

 of alum ; put these together in a pot, pan, or pipkin, 

 and boil them half an hour ; and having so done, let 

 it cool ; and being cold, put your hair into it, and there 

 let it lie ; it will turn your hair to be a kind of water 

 or glass-colour, or greenish ; and the longer you let it 

 lie, the deeper it will be. You might be taught to make 

 many otj^er colours, but it is to little purpose ; for 

 doubtless the water-colour or glass-coloured hair is the 

 most choice and most useful for an angler, but let it not 

 be too green. 



But if you desire to colour hair greener, then do it 

 thus : take a quart of small ale, half a pound of alum ; 

 then put these into a pan or pipkin, and your hair into 

 it with them ; then put it upon a fire, and let it boil 

 softly for half an hour ; and then take out your hair, 

 and let it dry ; and having so done, then take a pottle 

 of water, and put into it two handfuls of marigolds, and 



100 H * 



