The Compleat ^Angler 



reason of the stream, and also, that you must always keep your worm 

 in motion by drawing still back towards you, as if you were angling 

 with a fly ; and believe me, whoever will try it, shall find this the 

 best way of all other to angle with a worm, in a bright water 

 especially ; but then his rod must be very light and pliant, and very 

 true and finely made, which, with a skilful hand, will do wonders, 

 and in a clear stream is undoubtedly the best way of angling for a 

 trout, or grayling with a worm, by many degrees, that any man can 

 make choice of, and of most ease and delight to the angler. To 

 which, let me add, that if the angler be of a constitution that will 

 suffer him to wade, and will slip into the tail of a shallow stream, to 

 the calf of the leg, or the knee, and so keep off the bank, he shall 

 almost take what fish he pleases. 



The second way of angling at the bottom is with a cork or float ; 



and that is also of two sorts ; with a worm ; or with a grub or 



j- & 



cadis. 



With a worm, you are to have your line within a foot, or a foot 

 and a half as long as your rod ; in a dark water, with two, or if you 

 will with three, but in a clear water never with above one hair next 

 the hook, and two or three for four or five lengths above it, and a 

 worm of what size you please, your plumbs fitted to your cork, your 

 cork to the condition of the river (that is, to the swiftness or slowness 

 of it), and both when the water is very clear, as fine as you can ; and 

 then you are never to bait with above one of the lesser sort of 

 brandlings ; or, if they are very little ones indeed, you may then bait 

 with two, after the manner before directed. 



When you angle for a trout, you are to do it as deep, that is, as 

 near the bottom as you can, provided your bait do not drag, or if it 

 do, a trout will sometimes take it in at that posture : if for a grayling, 

 you are then to fish further from the bottom, he being a fish that 

 usually swims nearer the middle of the water, and lies always loose ; 

 or however, is more apt to rise than a trout, and more inclined to 

 rise than to descend even to a ground-bait. 



With a grub or cadis, you are to angle with the same length of 

 line, or if it be all out as long as your rod 'tis not the worse, with 

 never above one hair, for two or three lengths next the hook, and with 



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