CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



I shall next give you some other directions for 

 fly-fishing, such as are given by Mr. Thomas Barker* > 



* It is supposed that the reader is by this time not wholly ignorant 

 who this gentleman was, as mention is made of him in the Author'* 

 Life. We have already given given the Dedication to his Art of Angling ; 

 and here now follow some extracts from that humorous piece, itself. 

 Addressing himself to the noble lord to whom hi* book is dedicated, 

 he thus begins: 



" Under favour, I will compliment, and put a case to your 

 " honour. I met with a man; and upon our discourse he fell out 

 *' with me, having a good weapon, but neither stomach nor skill : I say 

 " this man may come horns by Weeping-cross ; I will cause the clerk to toll bis 

 *' knell. It is the very like case to the gentleman angler, that goeth 

 " to the river for his pleasure: This angler hath neither judgment 

 " nor experience : he may come home lightly laden at his leisure 



" A man that goeth to the river for his pleasure : must understand, 

 " when he cometh there, to set forth his taMe. The first thisg he 

 " must do, is to observe the wind and sun for DAY, the moon, the stars, 

 " and the -wanes of the air for NIGHT, to set forth his tat&les for day 

 " or night ; and accordingly to go for his pleasure, and some profit. 



" Now I am determined to angle with ground-baits, and set 

 " my tackles to my rod, and %o to my pleasure. \ begin at the upper- 

 " most part of the stream, carrying my line with an upright hand, 

 " feeling my plummet running truly on the ground some ten inches 

 " from the hook, plumming my line according to the swiftness of 

 " the stream I angle in ; for one plummet will not serve for all 

 " streams; for the true angling is, that the plummet run truly on 

 " the ground. 



" My lord sent to me, at sun-going-down to provide him a 

 " good dish of Trouts against the next morning, by six o'clock. I 

 " went to the door to see hoiv the ivanes of the air ivere like to prove. 

 " I returned answer, that I doubted not, God willing, but to be provided 

 " at the time appointed. I went presently to the river, and it proved 

 " very dark : I threw out a line of three silks and three hairs twisted 

 " for the uppermost part; and a line of two hairs and two silks 

 " twisted, for the lower part with a good large hook. I baited my 

 " hook with two lob-worms, the four ends hanging as meet as I could 

 " guess them in the dark. I fell to angle. It proved very dark, so that 

 " I had good sport ; angling with the lob-worms as I do with the flies, 

 " on the top of the water : You shall hear the fish rise at the top of the 

 " water ; then, you must loose a slack line down to the bottom, as nigh 

 " as you can guess ; then hold your line strait, feeling the fish bite ; 

 " give time, there is no doubt of losing the fish, for there is not 

 " one amongst twenty but doth gorge the bait the least stroke you 

 " can strike fastens the hook, and makes the fish sure, letting the 

 " fish take a turn or two ; you may take him up with your hands. 

 ** The night began to alter and grow somewhat lighter ; I took off 

 *' the lob-worms, and set to my rod a white palmer-fly, made of a 

 " large hook ; I had good sport for the time, until it grew lighter ; so I 

 " took off the white palmer, and set to a red palmer, made of a large hook j 

 * c I had good sport until it grew very light : then I took oft the red 

 " palmer, and set to a black palmer ; I had good sport and made up 



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