194 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



Much more might be said out of him and out 

 of Aristotle, which Dubravius often quotes in his 

 " Discourse of Fishes ; " but it might rather per- 

 plex than satisfy you, and therefore I shall rather 

 choose to direct you how to catch than spend 

 more time in discoursing either of the nature or 

 the breeding of this carp, or of any more circum- 

 stances concerning him ; but yet I shall remember 

 you of what I told you before, that he is a very 

 subtle fish and hard to be caught. 



And my first direction is, that if you will fish for 

 a carp, you must put on a very large measure of 

 patience, especially to fish for a river carp. I 

 have known a very good fisher angle diligently 

 four or six hours in a day, for three or four days 

 together, for a river carp and not have a bite. 

 And you are to note that in some ponds it is as 

 hard to catch a carp as in a river ; that is to say, 

 where they have store of feed, and the water is 

 of a clayish color ; but you are to remember that I 

 have told you there is no rule without an excep- 

 tion ; and therefore being possessed with that hope 

 and patience which I wish to all fishers, espe- 

 cially to the carp-angler, I shall tell you with what 

 bait to fish for him. But first you are to know 

 that it must be either early or late ; and let me 

 tell you that in hot weather, for he will seldom 

 bite in cold, you cannot be too early or too late 

 at it. And some have been so curious as to say 

 the tenth of April is a fatal day for carps. 



The carp bites either at worms or at paste ; 



