144 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART T, 



the Crocodile, which if he lives never so long, yet al- 

 ways thrives till his death : but it is not so with the 

 Trout; for after he is come to his full growth, be de- 

 clines, in his body, and keeps Ills 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 streams ; even through such 

 high and swift places as is almost incredible. Next, 

 That the Trout usually spawns about October or No- 

 vember, but in some rivi rs 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. Arid 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 

 Lead, and, then, to be lank and thin and lean, at 

 which time, many of them have sticking on them sugs 3 

 or Trout-lice; 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 moisture ; 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 ihebe make ihe Trout Uohl 



