THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 233 



water green, his belly white and shining as the 

 mountain snow. And, doubtless, though he have 

 the fortune, which virtue has in poor people, to be 

 neglected, yet the bleak ought to be much valued, 

 though we want allamot-salt, and the skill that the 

 Italians have to turn them into anchovies. This 

 fish may be caught with a pater-noster line ; that 

 is, six or eight very small hooks tied along the 

 line, one half a foot above the other : I have seen 

 five caught -thus at one time, and the bait has been 

 gentles, than which none is better. 



Or this fish may be caught with a fine small 

 artificial fly, which is to be of a very sad-brown 

 color and very small, and the hook answerable. 

 There is no better sport than whipping for bleaks 

 in a boat or on a bank in the swift water in a 

 summer's evening, with a hazel top about five or 

 six foot long, and a line twice the length of the 

 rod. I have heard Sir Henry Wotton say that 

 there be many that in Italy will catch swallows 

 so, or especially martins, this bird-angler standing 

 on the top of a steeple to do it, and with a line 

 twice so long as I have spoken of; and let me 

 tell you, scholar, that both martins and bleaks be 

 most excellent meat. 



And let me tell you that I have known a hern 

 that did constantly frequent one place, caught 

 with a hook baited with a big minnow or a small 

 gudgeon. The line and hook must be strong, 

 and tied to some loose stuff, so big as she cannot 

 fly away with it, a line not exceeding two 

 yards. 



