300 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



My rod and my line ; my float and my lead ; 



My hook and my plummet; my whetstone and knife; 

 My basket, my baits both living and dead ; 



My net; and my meat, for that is the chief: 

 Then I must have thread, and hairs green and small, 

 With mine angling purse. And so you have all* 



But you must have all these tackling, and twice so 

 many more*; \vith which, if you mean to be a fisher, 



* If you go any great distance from home, you will find it necessary to 

 carry with you, many more things than are here enumerated ; most of 

 "which may be, very well, contained in a wicker panier of about twelve 

 inches wide, and eight high, of the form aud put into a hawking-bag 

 as in Fig. 10. Plate XI. The following is a list of the most material : A 

 rod with a spare top ; lines coiled up, and neatly laid in round flat boxes ; 

 pare links, single hairs, waxed thread, and silk; plummets of various sizes 

 of the form of Fig. 1 1 . Plate XI. floats of all kinds, and spare caps ; worm- 

 bags, and a gentle-box, Fig. 12. Plate XI. hooks of all sizes, some whipped 

 to single hairs ; shot ; shoe-maker's- wax, in a very small gallipot covered 

 with a bit of leather ; a clearing ring, tied to about six yards of strong 

 cord, of the shape of Fig. 13. Plate Xf. the use of this is to disengage 

 your hook when it has caught a weed, &c. in which case take off the butt 

 of your rod, and slip the ring over the remaining joints, and, holding it by 

 the cord, let it gently fall; a landing net, the hoop whereof must be of 

 iron, and made with joints to fold, in the shape of Fig. 14. Plate XI. and a 

 socket to hold a staff, Fig. 15. Take with you also such baits as you intend 

 to use. That you may keep your fish alive, be provided with a small 

 hoop-net, to draw close to the top. And never be without a sharp knife, 

 and tr'pair of scissars. And if you mean to use the artificial fly, have your 

 fly-book always with you. 



And, for the more convenient keeping and carriage of lines, links, single 

 hairs, ?3V., take a piece of parchment or vellum, seven inches by ten: on 

 the longer sides, set-off four inches ; and then fold it cross-wise, so as to 

 leave a flap of two inches, of which hereafter: then take eight or ten pieces 

 of parchment, of seven inches by four, put them into the parchment or 

 vellum, so folded, and sew up the ends: then cut the flap rounding, and 

 fold it down like a pocket-book : lastly, you may, if you please, bind 

 [along] the ends, and round the flap with red tape. 



Into this case, put lines coiled up, spare links, single hairs, hooks 

 ready whipped and looped. 



And, having-, several of these cnses, you may fill them with lines, fcf*. 

 proper for every kind of fishing ; always remembering to put, into each 

 of them, a gorger, or small piece of cane, of five inches long, and a quarter 

 of an inch wide, with a notch at each end j jvith this, when a fish ha* 

 gorged your hook, you may by piUting it down his throat, till you feel 

 the hook ; and holding the line tight, while you press it down easily 

 disengage it. 



And if'^ttH should chance to break ycur top, or any other part of your 

 rod, tak&the following directions for mending it: Cut the two broken enda 

 with a long slop*, o that they may fit neatly together; then spread some 



