The Compleat ^Angler 



much of it as you intend ; and choose your forked stick to be of 

 that bigness as may keep the fish or frog from pulling the forked 

 stick under the water till the pike bites ; and then the pike having 

 pulled the line forth of the cleft or nick of that stick in which it was 

 gently fastened, he will have line enough to go to his hold and pouch 

 the bait ; and if you would have this ledger-bait to keep at a fixed 

 place, undisturbed by wind or other accidents, which may drive it to 

 the shore side (for you are to note, that it is likeliest to catch a pike 

 in the midst of the water), then hang a small plummet of lead, a 

 stone, or piece of tile, or a turf in a string, and cast it into the water 

 with the forked stick, to hang upon the ground, to be a kind of 

 anchor to keep the forked stick from moving out of your intended 

 place till the pike come. This I take to be a very good way, to use 

 so many ledger-baits as you intend to make trial of. 



Or if you bait your hooks thus with live fish or frogs, and in a 

 windy day, fasten them thus to a bough or bundle of straw, and by 

 the help of that wind can get them to move across a pond or mere, 

 you are like to stand still on the shore and see sport presently if there 

 be any store of pikes ; or these live baits may make sport, being tied 

 about the body or wings of a goose or duck, and she chased over a 

 pond ; and the like may be done with turning three or four live baits 

 thus fastened to bladders, or boughs, or bottles of hay or flags, to 

 swim down a river, whilst you walk quietly alone on the shore, and 

 are still in expectation of sport. The rest must be taught you 

 by practice, for time will not allow me to say more of this kind of 

 fishing with live baits. 



And for your dead bait for a pike, for that you may be taught by 

 one day's going a-fishing with me, or any other body that fishes for 

 him, for the baiting your hook with a dead gudgeon or a roach, and 

 moving it up and down the water, is too easy a thing to take up any 

 time to direct you to do it ; and yet, because I cut you short in that, 

 I will commute for it by telling you that that was told me for a 

 secret : it is this : 



" Dissolve gum of ivy in oil of spike, and therewith anoint your 

 dead bait for a pike, and then cast it into a likely place, and when it 

 has lain a short time at the bottom, draw it towards the top of the 



