chap, x.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 175 



cessary for you to know, and to be mindful and 

 careful of ; that if the Pike or Pearch do breed in 

 that river, they will be sure to bite first, and must 

 first be taken. And for the most part they are very 

 large ; and will repair to your ground-bait, not that 

 they will eat of it, but will feed and sport them- 

 selves amongst the young fry that gather about and 

 hover over the bait. 



The way to discern the Pike and to take him, 

 if you mistrust your Bream-hook, — for I have taken 

 a Pike a yard long several times at my Bream- 

 hooks, and sometimes he hath had the luck to share 

 my line, — may be thus : 



Take a small Bleak, or Roach, or Gudgeon, and 

 bait it ; and set it alive among your rods two foot 

 deep from the cork, with a little red -worm on 

 the point of the hook ; then take a few crumbs 

 of white bread, or some of the ground-bait, and 

 sprinkle it gently amongst your rods. If Mr. Pike 

 be there, then the little fish will skip out of the 

 water at his appearance, but the live-set bait is 

 sure to be taken. 



Thus continue your sport from four in the morn- 

 ing till eight, and if it be a gloomy, windy day, they 

 will bite all day long. But this is too long to stand 

 to your rods at one place, and it will spoil your 

 evening-sport that day, which is this. 



About four of the clock in the afternoon repair 

 to your baited-place ; and as soon as you come to 

 the water-side, cast in one half of the rest of vour 



