The Compleat ^Angler 



And then an ingenious angler may walk by the river and mark what 

 flies fall on the water that day, and catch one of them, if he sees the 

 trouts leap at a fly of that kind; and then having always hooks 

 ready hung with him, and having a bag always with him, with 

 bear's hair, or the hair of a brown or sad-coloured heifer, hackles of 

 a cock or capon, several coloured silk and crewel to make the body 

 of the fly, the feathers of a drake's head, black or brown sheep's 

 wool, or hog's wool or hair, thread of gold and of silver ; silk of 

 several colours (especially sad-coloured, to make the fly's head) and 

 there be also other coloured feathers, both of little birds and of 

 speckled fowl. I say, having those with him in a bag, and trying 

 to make a fly, though he miss at first, yet shall he at last hit it 

 better, even to such a perfection as none can well teach him ; and if 

 he hit to make his fly right, and have the luck to hit also where 

 there is store of trouts, a dark day, and a right wind, he will catch 

 such store of them, as will encourage him to grow more and more 

 in love with the art of fly-making. 



VEN. But, my loving master, if any wind will not serve, then I 

 wish I were in Lapland, to buy a good wind of one of the honest 

 witches, that sell so many winds there, and so cheap. 



Pise. Marry, scholar, but I would not be there, nor indeed from 

 under this tree : for look how it begins to rain ; and by the clouds, 

 if I mistake not, we shall presently have a smoking shower; and 

 therefore sit close ; this sycamore-tree will shelter us : and I will tell 

 you, as they shall come into my mind, more observations of fly- 

 fishing for a trout. 



But first, for the wind ; you are to take notice, that of the winds, 

 the south wind is said to be the best. One observes that 



. . . when the wind is south, 

 It blows your bait into a fish's mouth. 



Next to that, the west wind is believed to be the best; and 

 having told you that the east wind is the worst I need not tell you 

 which wind is the best in the third degree : and yet (as Solomon 

 observes), that " he that considers the wind shall never sow," so he 

 that busies his head too much about them (if the weather be not 



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