CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 199 



and coaiser, again, if they shall return to their former 

 pasture ; and, again, return to a finer wool, being fed 

 in the fine wool ground : Which, I tell you, that you 

 may the better believe that, I am certain, if 1 catch a 

 Trout in one meadow he shall be white and faint, and 

 very like to be lousy; and, as certainly, if I catch a 

 Trout in the next meadow, he shall be strong, and red, 

 and lusty, and much better meat. Trust me, scholar ! 

 I have caught many a Trout in a particular meadow, 

 that the very shape and the enamelled colour of him 

 hath been such, as hath joyed me to look on him : and 

 1 have then, with much pleasure, concluded with Solo- 

 mon, c< Every thing is beautiful in its season*." 



* The Trout delights in small purling rivers, and brooks, with gravelly 

 bottoms and a swift stream. His haunts are an eddy, behind a stone, a 

 log, or a bank that projects forward into the river, and against which the 

 stream drives ; a shallow between two streams ; or, towards the latter 

 end of the summer, a mill-tail. His hold is usually in the deep, under the 

 hollow of a bank, or the root of a tree. 



The Trout spawns about the beginning of November ; and does wot re- 

 cover till the beginning of March. 



Walton has been so particular on the 'subject of Trout-fishing, that he 

 has left very little room to say any thing, by way of annotation, with 

 respect to Baits, or the Method of taking this fish : yet there are some 

 directions and observations pertinent to this chapter, which it would 

 not be consistent with the intended copiousness and accuracy of this 

 work to omit. 



When you fish for large Trout or Salmon, a tvincb of the shape of 

 Fig. 4. Plate XI. will be very useful : upon the rod with which you use 

 the winch, whip a number of small rings of about an eighth of an 

 inch diameter, and, at first, about two feet distant from each other, 

 but, afterwards, diminishing gradually in their distances till you come to 

 the end : the winch must be screwed-on to the butt of your rod : 

 and round the barrel, let there be wound eight or ten yards of wove 

 hair or silk line. When you have struck a fish that may endanger 

 your tackle, let the line run, and wind him up as he tires. 



You will find great convenience, in a spike t made of a piece of the 

 greater end of a sword-blade, screwed into the hither end of the butt 

 of your rod : when you have struck a fish, retire backwards from the 

 river, and, by means of the spike, stick the rod perpendicular in the 

 ground; you may then lay hold on the line, r.nd draw the fish to 

 you, as you see proper. 



When you angle for a Trout, whether with a fly or at the ground, 

 you need make but three or four trials in a place; which, if unsuc- 

 cessful, you may conclude there are none there. 



Walton, in speaking of the several rivers where Trout are foun<1, 

 has made no mention of the Kennet / which, undoubtedly, produces a 

 good and as eiany Trouts as any river in England. la the reign of 



