CHAPTER V 



OF FLY-FISHING 



[Second H>as] 



Pise. Fly-fishing, or fishing at the top, is, as I said 

 before, of two sorts ; with a natural and living fly, or with 

 an artificial and made fly. 



First then, of the natural fly : of which we generally 

 use but two sorts ; and those but in the two months of 

 May and June only ; namely, the green drake and the 

 stone-fly : though I have made use of a third, that way, 

 called the camlet-fly, with very good success, for grayling, 

 but never saw it angled with by any other, after this 

 manner, my master only excepted, who died many 

 years ago, and was one of the best anglers that ever 

 I knew. 



These are to be angled with, with a short line, not 

 much more than half the length of your rod, if the air be 

 still ; or with a longer very near, or all out, as long as 

 your rod, if you have any wind to carry it from you. And 

 this way of fishing we call daping, dabbing, or dibbing ; 

 wherein you are always to have your line flying before you 

 up or down the river, as the wind serves, and to angle 

 as near as you can to the bank of the same side whereon 

 you stand, though where you see a fish rise near you, you 

 may guide your quick [live] fly over him, whether in the 

 middle, or on the contrary side ; and if you are pretty 

 well out of sight, either by kneeling or the interposition 

 of a bank or bush, you may almost be sure to raise, and 

 take him too, if it be presently done ; the fish will, other- 



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