CHAP. 111. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 187 



hot evening : When, as you walk by a brook, and shall 

 see or hear him leap at flies ; then, if you get a grashop- 

 per, put it on your hook, with your line about two yards 

 long ; standing behind a bush or tree where his hole is. 

 And make your bait stir up and down on the top of {he 

 water. You may, if you stand close, be sure of a bite ; 

 but not sure to catch him, for he is not a leather- 

 mouthed fish. Arid after this manner you may fish for 

 him with almost any kind of live fly, but especially with 

 a grashopper. 



Ven. But before you go further, I pray, good mas- 

 ter, what mean you by a leather-mouthed fish ? 



Pise. By a leather-mouthed fish, I mean such as 

 have their teeth in their thront, as the Chub or Cheven ; 

 and so the Barbel, the Gudgeon, and Carp, and divers 

 others have. And the hook being stuck into the leather, 

 or skin, of the mouth of such fish ; does very seldom or 

 never lose its hold : but on the contrary, a Pike, a 

 Pearch, or Trout, and so some other fish, which have 

 not their teeth in their throats, but in their mouths ; 

 which you shall observe to be very full of bones, and 

 the skin very thin, and little of it ; I say, of these fish 

 the hook never takes so sure hold, but you often lose 

 your fish, unless he have gorged it. 



Ven. I thank you, good master, for this observation. 

 But now, what shall be done with my Chub or Cheven 

 that I have caught. 



Pise. Marry ! Sir, it shall be given away to some 

 poor body ; for I'll warrant you I'll give you a Trout 

 for your supper : and it is a good beginning of your art 

 to offer your first fruits to the poor, who will both 

 thank you and God for it, which I see by your silence 

 you seem to consent to. And for your willingness to 

 part with it so charitably, I will also teach more con- 

 cerning Chub-fishing : You are to note, that in March 

 and April he is usually taken with worms ; in May^ 

 June, and July^ he will bite at any fly, or at cherries, 

 or at beetles with their legs and wings cut off, or at 

 any kind of snail, or at the black bee 3 that breeds in 

 clay walls. And he never refuses a grashopper, on 



