52 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [part i. 



Pisc. Sir, they be principally three, namely, 

 March, April, and May; for these be the usual 

 months that salmon come out of the sea to spawn 

 in most fresh rivers, and their fry would about a 

 certain time return back to the salt-water, if they 

 were not hindered by wears and unlawful gins, which 

 the greedy fishermen set, and so destroy them by 

 thousands ; as they would, being so taught by nature, 

 change the fresh for salt water. He that shall view 

 the wise Statutes made in the 13th of Edward I. and 

 the like in Richard II. may see several provisions 

 made against the destruction of fish : and though 

 I profess no knowledge of the law, yet I am sure the 

 regulation of these defects might be easily mended. 

 But I remember that a wise friend of mine did usually 

 say, " That which is every body's business, is no 

 " body's business : " If it were otherwise, there 

 could not be so many nets and fish that are under the 

 statute-size, sold daily amongst us, and of which the 

 conservators of the waters should be ashamed. 



But above all, the taking fish in Spawning-time, 

 may be said to be against nature ; it is like the 

 taking the dam on the nest when she hatches her 

 young : a sin so against nature, that Almighty God 

 hath in the Levitical law, Deuteron. xxii. 6, 7. made 

 a law against it. 



But the poor fish have enemies enough beside 

 such unnatural fishermen, as namely, the Otters that 

 I spake of, the Cormorant, the Bittern, tbe Osprey, 

 the Sea-gull, the Heron, the King-fisher, the Gorara, 



