CHAP. XVII. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 297 



vertheless tell you, That camphire put, with moss, 

 into your worm-bag with your worms, makes them, if 

 many anglers be not very much mistaken, a tempting 

 bait, and the angler more fortunate. But I stepped, 

 by chance, into this discourse of oils, and fishes' smell- 

 ing ; and though there might be more said, both of it 

 and of baits for Roach and Dace and other float-fish, 

 yet I will forbear it at this time*: And, (ell you, in 



Germany about the beginning of the 14th century; they professed to 

 teach the art of making gold; and boasted of a secret, in their power, to 

 protract the period of human life, and even to restore youth. Their 

 founder having been to the Holy-Land, pretended to have learned all this 

 from the Arabs. '1 hey propagated their senseless philosophy by tradition; 

 and revealed their mysteries only to a chosen few, and to this practice, 

 the author alludes. Lemery, in his book Of Chemistry, has thus defined their 

 art ; " Ars sine arte ; cujus principium mentiri, medium laborare C5T Jlnis men- 

 " dkare" An art without art ; whose beginning is lying, whose middle 

 is labour, and whose end is beggary. 



* ROACH delight in gravelly or sandy bottoms : their haunts, espe- 

 cially as winter approaches, are clear deep and still waters; at other times, 

 they lie in and near the weeds, and under the shade of boughs. 



They spawn about the latter end of May, when they are scabby and 

 unwholesome : but they are again in order, in about three weeks. The 

 largest are taken after Michaelmas; and their prime season is in February 

 or March. 



The Baits for Roach, not already mentioned, are: cad-bait and oak- 

 worms, for the spring; in May, ant's-eggs; and paste, made of the 

 crumbs of a new roll, both white, and tinged with red, which is done 

 by putting vermilion into the water wherewith you moisten it; thi 

 paste will do for the Winter, also. 



The largest Roach in this kingdom are taken in the Thames, where 

 many have been caught of two pounds and a half weight: but Roach oi 

 any size, are hardly to be come at without a boat. 



The haunts of DACE, are: gravelly, sandy, and clayey bottoms; deep 

 holes that are shaded; water-lilly leaves; and under the foam caused by 

 an eddy: In hot weather, they are' to be found on the shallows; and are, 

 then, best taken with an artificial fly, grashoppers, or gentles, as hereafter 

 directed. 



Dace spawn about the hitter end of March : and are in season about 

 three weeks after ; they are not very good till about Michaelmas, and 

 are best in February. 



Baits for Dace, other than those mentioned by Walton, are : the oak- 

 worm; red-worm ; brandling; gilt-tail; and indeed any worm, bred on 

 trees or bushes, that is not too big for his mouth ; almost all kinds of flies 

 and caterpillars. 



Though Dace are often caught with a float, as Roach, yet they are not 

 so properly float-fish; For they are to be taken with an artificial gnat, 

 or ant-fly, or indeed, almost any other small fly in its season, but in the 

 above Richmond, the largest are caught with a natural green or 



