THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 2 59 



There is also a little fish called a stickleback, 

 a fish without scales, but hath his body fenced 

 with several prickles. I know not where he 

 dwells in winter, nor what he is good for in sum- 

 mer, but only to make sport for boys and women- 

 anglers, and to feed other fish that be fish of 

 prey, as trouts in particular, who will bite at him 

 as at a penk ; and better, if your hook be rightly 

 baited with him, for he may be so baited as, his 

 tail turning like the sail of a windmill, will make 

 him turn more quick than any penk or minnow 

 can. For note that the nimble turning of that, 

 or the minnow, is the perfection of minnow fish- 

 ing. To which end, if you put your hook into 

 his mouth and out at his tail, and then, having 

 first tied him with a white thread a little above 

 his tail, and placed him after such a manner on 

 your hook as he is like to turn, then sew up his 

 mouth to your line, and he is like to turn quick, 

 and tempt any trout ; but if he does not turn 

 quick, then turn his tail a little more or less 

 towards the inner part, or towards the side of the 

 hook ; or put the minnow or stickleback a little 

 more crooked or more straight on your hook, un- 

 til it will turn both true and fast, and then doubt 

 not but to tempt any great trout that lies in a 

 swift stream. And the loach that I told you of, 

 will do the like ; no bait is more tempting, pro- 

 vided the loach be not too big. 



And now, scholar, with the help of this fine 

 morning and your patient attention, I have said 



