294 "THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART i. 



cunning, goodness ; and, usually, in size. And there- 

 fore take this general direction, for some other baits 

 which may concern you to take notice of: they will 

 bite almost at any fly, but especially at Ant-flies ; 

 concerning which, take this direction, for it is very 

 good. 



Take the Blackish Ant fly, out of the molehill, or ant- 

 hill ; in which place you shall find them in the month 

 of June, or, if that, be too early in the year, then, 

 doubtless, you may find them in July, August, and 

 most of September. Gather them, alive, with both 

 their wings: And then put them into a glass that will 

 hold a quart or a pottle, but, first, put into the glass 

 a handful, or more, of the moist earth out of which you 

 gather them, and as much of the roots of the grass of the 

 said hillock ; and then put in the flies gently, that they 

 lose not their wings : lay a clod of earth over it ; and, 

 then so many as are put into the glass with out bruising, 

 will live there a month or more, and be always in 

 readiness for you to fish with : But if you would 

 have them keep longer, then get any great earthen 

 pot, or barrel of three or four gallons, which is better ; 

 then wash your barrel with water and honey, and, 

 having put into it a quantity of earth and grass-roots, 

 then put in your flies, and cover it, and they will live a 

 quarter of a year. These, in any stream and clear 

 water, are a deadly bait for Roach or Dace, or for a 

 Chub : And your rule is to fish not less than a handful 

 from the bottom. 



I shall next tell you a Winter-bait for a Roach, a 

 Dace, or Chub ; and it is choicely good. About All- 

 hallantide, and, so till frost conies, when you see men 

 ploughing up heath ground, or sandy ground, or green- 

 swards ; then follow the plough, and you shall find a 

 white worm as big as two maggots, and it hath a red 

 head : you may observe in what ground most are ; for, 

 there, the crows will be very watchful and follow the 

 plough very close : it is all soft, and full of whitish 

 guts ; a worm that is, in Norfolk and some other coun- 

 ties, called a grub ; and is bred of the spawn or eggs 

 of a beetle, which she leaves in holes that she digs in 

 the ground under cow or horse-dung, and, there, rests 

 all Winter, and, in March or April, comes to be first 



