176 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [parti. 



ground-bait, and stand off : then, whilst the fish are 

 gathering together, for there they "will most cer- 

 tainly come for their supper, you may take a pipe 

 of tobacco ; and then in with your three rods as in 

 the morning. You will find excellent sport that 

 evening till eight of the clock : then cast in the 

 residue of your ground-bait, and next morning by 

 four of the clock, visit them again for four hours, 

 which is the best sport of all ; and after that, let 

 them rest till you and your friends have a mind to 

 more sport. 



From St. James's-tide until Bartholomew-tide is 

 the best ; when they have had all the summer's 

 food thev are the fattest. 



Observe lastly, that after three or four days fish- 

 ing together, your game will be very shy and wary, 

 and you shall hardly get above a bite or two at a 

 baiting ; then your only way is to desist from your 

 sport about two or three days : and in the mean 

 time, on the place you late baited, and again in- 

 tend to bait, you shall take a turf of green but short 

 grass, as big or bigger than a round trencher ; to 

 the top of this turf, on the green side, you shall, 

 with a needle and green thred, fasten one by one 

 as many little red-worms as will near cover all 

 the turf : Then take a round board or trencher, 

 make a hole in the middle thereof, and through 

 the turf, placed on the board or trencher, with a 

 string or cord as long as is fitting, tied to a pole, 

 let it down to the bottom of the water for the fish 



