THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 85 



Pise. 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 wires 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 i3th 

 of Edward L, and the like in Richard IL, 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 everybody's business is nobody'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 

 water should be ashamed. 



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

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

 the dam on the nest when she hatches her young, 

 a sin so against nature that Almighty God hath 

 in the Levitical law made a law against it. 



But the poor fish have enemies enough besides 

 such unnatural fishermen, as, namely, the otters 

 that I spake of, the cormorant, the bittern, the 

 osprey, the seagull, the hern, the kingfisher, the 

 gorara, the puet, the swan, goose, duck, and 



