10 ANGLING IMPROVED. 



the fly, though I know some who angle for Bream and 

 Pike with artificial flies, but I judge the labour lost, and 

 the knowledge a needless curiosity; those fish being 

 taken much easier, especially the Pike, by other ways. 

 All the fore-mentioned sorts of fish will sometimes 

 take the fly much better at the top of the water, and at 

 another time much better a little under the superficies 

 of the water; and in this your own observation must be 

 your constant and daily instructor; for if they will not 

 rise to the top, try them under, it being impossible, in 

 my opinion, to give any certain rule hi this particular : 

 also the five sorts of fish first named will take the arti- 

 ficial fly, so will not the other, except an oak-worm or 

 cad-bait be put on the point of the hook, or some other 

 worm suitable, as the fly must be, to the season. 



You may also observe, what my own experience 

 taught me, that the fish never rise eagerly and freely 

 at any sort of fly, until that kind come to the water's 

 side ; for though I have often, at the first coming in of 

 some flies, which I judged they liked best got several 

 of them, yet I could never find that they did much, if at 

 all value them, until those sorts of flies began to flock 

 to the rivers sides, and were to be found on the trees 

 and bushes there in great numbers ; for all sorts of flies, 

 wherever bred, do, after a certain time, come to the 

 banks of rivers, I suppose to moisten their bodies dried 

 with the heat; and from the bushes and herbs there, 

 skip and play upon the water, were the fish lie in wait 

 for them, and after a short time die, and are not to be 

 found : though of some kinds there come a second sort 



