126 The Complete Angler 



ledger or a walking-bait ; and you are to note, that 

 I call that a Ledger-bait, which is fixed or made to 

 rest in one certain place when you shall be absent 

 from it ; and I call that a Walking-bait, which you 

 take with you, and have ever in motion. Con- 

 cerning which two, I shall give you this direction ; 

 that your ledger-bait is best to be a living bait 

 (though a dead one may catch), whether it be a 

 fish or a frog : and that you may make them live 

 the longer, you may, or indeed you must, take this 

 course : 



First, for your LIVE-BAIT. Of fish, a roach or 

 dace is, I think, best and most tempting ; and a 

 perch is the longest lived on a hook, and having cut 

 off his fin on his back, which may be done without 

 hurting him, you must take your knife, which 

 cannot be too sharp, and betwixt the head and the 

 fin on the back, cut or make an incision, or such a 

 scar, as you may put the arming- wire of your hook 

 into it, with as little bruising or hurting the fish 

 as art and diligence will enable you to do ; and so 

 carrying your arming-wire along his back, unto or 

 near the tail of your fish, betwixt the skin and the 

 body of it, draw out that wire or arming of your hook 

 at another scar near to his tail : then tie him about 

 it with thread, but no harder than of necessity, to 

 prevent hurting the fish ; and the better to avoid 

 hurting the fish, some have a kind of probe to open 

 the way for the more easy entrance and passage of 

 your wire or arming : but as for these, time and a 

 little experience will teach you better than I can by 

 words. Therefore I will for the present say no more 

 of this ; but come next to give you some directions 

 how to bait your hook with a frog. 



VENATOR. But, good master, did you not say 

 even now, that some frogs were venomous ; and is 

 it not dangerous to touch them ? 



