THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 309 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Of the MINNOW, orPENK; of the LOACH; and of the 

 BULL-HEAD, or MILLER'S-THUMB. [and of the 

 STICKLER AG. How to bait zcith them.] 



PISCATOR. 



THERE be also three, or four, other little fish that 

 I had almost forgot ; that are, all, without scales, 

 and may, for excellency of meat, be compared to any 

 fish of greatest value and largest size. They be, 

 usually, full of eggs or spawn, all the months of 

 summer : for they breed, often ; as it is observed 

 mice, and many of the smaller four-footed creatures 

 of the earth do, and as those, so these, come quickly 

 to their full growth and perfection. And it is needful 

 that they breed, both often and numerously; for they 

 be besides other accidents of ruin both a prey, and 

 baits, for other fish. And, first, I shall tell you of the 

 Minnow or Penk. 



The MINNOW hath, when he is in perfect season 

 and not sick, which is only presently after spawning 

 a kind of dappled or \\aved colour like to a panther, 

 on his sides, inclining to a greenish and sky-colour ; 

 his belly being milk white ; and his back, almost black 

 or blackish. He is a sharp biter at a small worm; 

 and in hot weather makes excellent sport for young 

 anglers, or boys, or women that love that recreation. 

 And in the spring, they make of them excellent Min- 

 now-tansies ; for being washed well in salt, and their 

 heads and tails cut off, and their guts taken out, 

 and not washed after, they prove excellent for that 

 use, that is, being fried with yolks of eggs; the 

 flowtrs of cowslips,, and of primroses ; and a little 

 tansy ; thus used, they make a dainty dish of meat. 



