CHAP, iv.] THE THIRD DA K 75 



Crocodile, which if he lives never so long, yet always thrives till 

 his death : but ; tis not so with the Trout ; for after he is come to 

 his full growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his bigness, or 

 thrives only in his head till his death. And you are to know, 

 that he will, about, especially before, the time of his spawning, 

 get, almost miraculously, through weirs and flood-gates, against 

 the stream ; even through such high and swift places as is almost 

 incredible. Next, that the Trout usually spawns about October 

 or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or later ; which 

 is the more observable, because most other fish spawn in the 

 spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth and 

 water, and made it fit for generation. And you are to note, that 

 he continues many months out of season ; for it may be observed 

 of the Trout, that he is like the Buck or the Ox, that will not be 

 fat in many months, though he go in the very same pastures that 

 horses do, which will be fat in one month : and so you may 

 observe, That most other fishes recover strength, and grow 

 sooner fat and in season than the Trout doth. 



And next you are to note, That till the sun gets to such a 

 height as to warm the earth and the water, the Trout is sick, and 

 lean, and lousy, and unwholesome ; for you shall, in winter, find 

 him to have a big head, and then to be lank and thin and lean ; 

 at which time many of them have sticking on them Sugs, or 

 Trout-slice ; which is a kind of a worm, in shape like a clove, or 

 pin with a big head, and sticks close to him, and sucks his mois- 

 ture ; those, I think, the Trout breeds himself : and never thrives 

 till he free himself from them, which is when warm weather 

 comes ; and then, as he grows stronger, he gets from the dead 

 still water into the sharp streams and the gravel, and there 

 rubs off these worms or lice ; and then, as he grows stronger, 

 so he gets him into swifter and swifter streams, and there lies 

 at the watch for any fly or minnow that comes near to him ; 

 and he especially loves the May-fly, which is bred of the cod- 

 worm, or cadis ; and these make the Trout bold and lusty, 

 and he is usually fatter and better meat at the end of that month 

 than at any time of the year. 



Now you are to know that it is observed, that usually the best 

 Trouts are either red or yellow ; though some, as the Fordidge 

 Trout, be white and yet good ; but that is not usual : and it is a 

 note observable, that the female Trout hath usually a less head, 

 and a deeper body than the male Trout, and is usually the better 

 meat. And note, that a hog-back and a little head, to either 



