IO4 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



usually spawns about October or November, but 

 in some rivers a little sooner or later ; which is the 

 more observable, because most other fish spawn in 

 the spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed 

 both the earth and water, and made it fit for 

 generation. And you are to note that he con- 

 tinues many months out of season ; for it may be 

 observed of the trout that he is like the buck or 

 the ox, that will not be fat in many months, 

 though he go in the very same pastures that horses 

 do, which will be fat in one month. And so you 

 may observe that most other fishes recover 

 strength, and grow sooner fat and in season than 

 the trout doth. 



And next you are to note that till the sun gets to 

 such a height as to warm the earth and the water, 

 the trout is sick and lean and lousy and unwhole- 

 some, for you shall in winter find him to have a 

 big head, and then to be lank and thin and lean, 

 at which time many of them have sticking on them 

 sugs or trout-lice, which is a kind of worm, in 

 shape like a clove or pin, with a big head, and 

 sticks close to him and sucks his moisture. Those, 

 I think, the trout breeds himself, and never thrives 

 till he free himself from them, which is when warm 

 weather comes ; and then as he grows stronger he 

 gets from the dead still water into the sharp 

 streams and the gravel, and there rubs off these 

 worms or lice ; and then, as he grows stronger, so 

 he gets him into swifter and swifter streams, and 

 there lies at the watch for any fly or minnow that 



