HOW TO FISH FOR THE TROUT 



The eleventh is the Shell-fly, good in mid July, the body made 

 of greenish wool, lapped about with the herl of a peacock's tail ; 

 and the wings made of the wings of the buzzard. The twelfth 

 is the Dark-Drake-fly, good in August, the body made with 

 black wool, lapped about with black silk ; his wings are made 

 with the mail of the black-drake, with a black head. Thus have 

 you a jury of flies likely to betray and condemn all the Trouts 

 in the river. 



I shall next give you some other directions for fly-fishing, 

 such as are given by Mr. Thomas Barker, a gentleman that 

 hath spent much time in fishing : but I shall do it with a little 

 variation. 



First, let your rod be light, and very gentle, I take the 

 best to be of two pieces ; and let not your line exceed, especi- 

 ally for three or four links next to the hook, I say, not exceed 

 three or four hairs at the most, though you may fish a little 

 stronger above in the upper part of your line : but if you can 

 attain to angle with one hair, you shall have more rises and 

 catch more fish. Now you must be sure not to cumber yourself 

 with too long a line, as most do : and before you begin to angle, 

 cast to have the wind on your back, and the sun, if it shines, 

 to be before you, and to fish down the stream ; and carry the 

 point or top of your rod downward, by which means the shadow 

 of yourself, and rod too will be the least offensive to the fish, 

 for the sight of any shade amazes the fish, and spoils your sport, 

 of which you must take a great care. 



In the middle of March, till which time a man should not 

 in honesty catch a Trout, or in April, if the weather be dark, 

 or a little windy or cloudy, the best fishing is with the Palmer- 

 worm, of which I last spoke to you, but of these there be divers 

 kinds, or at least of divers colours ; these and the May-fly are 

 the ground of all fly-angling, which are to be thus made. 



First, you must arm your hook with the line in the inside 

 of it, then take your scissars, and cut so much of a brown 

 mallard's feather, as in your own reason will make the wings 

 of it, you having withal regard to the bigness or littleness of 

 your hook ; then lay the outmost part of your feather next 

 to your hook, then the point of your feather next the shank of 

 your hook ; and having so done, whip it three or four times 



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