THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 1 6? 



Far off itself doth cast, so does the salmon vault ; 

 And if at first he fail, his second summersault 

 He instantly essays, and, from his nimble ring 

 Still yerking, never leaves until himself he fling 

 Above the opposing stream." 



This Michael Drayton tells you of this leap or 

 summersault of the salmon. 



And next I shall tell you that it is observed by 

 Gesner and others that there is no better salmon 

 than in England ; and that though some of our 

 northern counties have as fat and as large as the 

 river Thames, yet none are of so excellent a taste. 



And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon 

 observes the age of a salmon exceeds not ten 

 years, so let me next tell you that his growth is 

 very sudden. It is said that after he is got into 

 the sea he becomes from a samlet not so big as a 

 gudgeon to be a salmon in as short a time as a 

 gosling becomes to be a goose. Much of this has 

 been observed by tying a ribbon or some known 

 tape or thread in the tail of some young salmons, 

 which have been taken in weirs as they have 

 swimmed towards the salt water, and then by tak- 

 ing a part of them again with the known mark at 

 the same place, at their return from the sea, which 

 is usually about six months after. And the like 

 experiment hath been tried upon young swallows, 

 who have after six months' absence been observed 

 to return to the same chimney, there to make 

 their nests and habitations for the summer follow- 

 ing ; which has inclined many to think that every 



