'The Compleat ^Angler 



line, if you dare adventure, for fear of taking the pike or perch, 

 who will assuredly visit your hooks, till they be taken out (as I will 

 show you afterward), before either carp or bream will come near to 

 bite. Note also, that when the worm is well baited, it will crawl up 

 and down as far as the lead will give leave, which much enticeth the 

 fish to bite without suspicion. 



3. Having thus prepared your baits, and fitted your tackling, 

 repair to the river, where you have seen them swim in skulls or 

 shoals, in the summer time, in a hot afternoon, about three or four of 

 the clock, and watch their going forth of their deep holes and return- 

 ing (which you may well discern), for they return about four of the 

 clock, most of them seeking food at the bottom, yet one or two will 

 lie on the top of the water, rolling and tumbling themselves whilst 

 the rest are under him at the bottom, and so you shall perceive him 

 to keep sentinel ; then mark where he plays most, and stays longest 

 (which commonly is in the broadest and deepest place of the river), 

 and there, or near thereabouts, at a clear bottom and a convenient 

 landing-place, take one of your angles ready fitted as aforesaid, and 

 sound the bottom, which should be about eight or ten feet deep (two 

 yards from the bank is the best). Then consider with yourself 

 whether that water will rise or fall by the next morning, by reason of 

 any water-mills near, and according to your discretion take the depth 

 of the place, where you mean after to cast your ground-bait, and to 

 fish, to half an inch, that the lead lying on near the ground-bait, 

 the top of the float may only appear upright half an inch above the 

 water. 



Thus you having found and fitted for the place and depth thereof, 

 then go home and prepare your ground-bait, which is, next to the fruit 

 of your labours, to be regarded. 



THE GROUND-BAIT. 



You shall take a peck, or a peck and a half (according to the 

 greatness of the stream and deepness of the water where you mean to 

 angle) of sweet gross-ground barley malt, and boil it in a kettle (one 

 or two warms is enough), then strain it through a bag into a tub (the 

 liquor whereof hath often done my horse much good), and when the 



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