80 THE JOLLY ANGLER. 



Jack, always take your bait out of the water slowly and 

 with care, as it is a very common occurrence for a fish to 

 seize it at that moment. 



I do not pretend to say there are not other methods of 

 taking fish, both by bottom-fishing and trolling, but have 

 in this work only given a description of such as I conceive 

 to be the best and simplest. If you are fearful of obtaining 

 baits for Jack where you are going to, you may purchase 

 them at Turpin's, near Sadler's Wells, or of Jacobs, Duke 

 Street, Aldgate. 



There are many artificial baits for Jack sold at the 

 tackle-shops, manufactured of pearl, silk, leather, &c.; 

 but however natural they maybe made, the eye of the fish 

 is so keen, and the deception so easily discovered in the 

 mouth, that you must strike the moment the fish touches 

 them ; I have never succeeded with them. 



Fly Fishing. 



This branch of the art is so captivating, that few bot- 

 tom-fishers return to their old system of angling after 

 once succeeding with the fly (the winter season excepted). 



For my own part, I feel more pleasure in taking two 

 or three brace of Trout or Chub, with a light fly-rod, 

 than I do by taking three times the quantity by any other 

 means. There is no department of the science upon which 

 so much has been written, and to so little purpose. Salter 

 very ingenuously says, " Bowlker,. of Shrewsbury, is the 

 best instructor in the art of fly -making." I agree with 

 him so far * ; but a little farther on, where, after telling 

 you to " take the rod in one hand while you hold the fly 

 in the other," he says, " when you have attained the art of 

 throwing a fly thirty yards ! you may use line ad libitum." 

 Here I think he has been imposed upon by some person 

 who could throw a long line. At all events, it shows him 

 to have been ignorant of the subject he was then dis- 

 cussing. I should say, when you can manage 10 or 12 yards 

 of line ?DeZ/(with a single-handed fly-rod), you might then 

 use more line at pleasure, and limit your desires to 

 throwing something short of 30 when you become an 



* I believe Bowlker to be the best book of reference for the fly- 

 maker who has had a. little instruction in the art; though some of 

 his flies are now expunged from the modern angler's pocket-book. 



