chap, viii.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 153 



you are to fasten that line to any bough near to a 

 hole where a Pike is, or is likely to lie, or to have a 

 haunt ; and then wind your line on any forked stick, 

 all your line, except half a yard of it, or rather 

 more ; and split that forked stick with such a nick 

 or notch at one end of it, as may keep the line from 

 any more of it ravelling from about the stick than 

 so much of it as you intend. And choose your forked 

 stick to be of that bigness as may keep the fish or 

 frog from pulling the forked stick under the water 

 till the Pike bites, and then the Pike having pulled 

 the line forth of the cleft or nick of that stick 

 in which it was gently fastened, he will have line 

 enough to go to his hold and pouch the bait. And 

 if you would have this Ledger-bait to keep at a 

 fixed place, undisturbed by wind or other accidents, 

 which may drive it to the shore- side ; for you are 

 to note, that it is likeliest to catch a Pike in the 

 midst of the water, then hang a small plummet of 

 lead, a stone, or piece of tile, or a turf, in a string, 

 and cast it into the water, with the forked stick, to 

 hang upon the ground, to be a kind of anchor to 

 keep the forked stick from moving out of your in- 

 tended place till the Pike come. This I take to be 

 a very good way to use so many Ledger-baits as 

 you intend to make trial of. 



Or if you bait your hooks thus with live fish or 

 frogs, and in a windy day, fasten them thus to a 

 bough or bundle of straw, and by the help of that 

 wind can get them to move across a pond or mere, 

 you are like to stand still on the shore and see 



