ANGLING IMPROVED. '2l> 



bait, and rangeth abroad for more ; then with your troll 

 wind up your line, till you think you have it almost 

 straight, then with a smart jerk hook him, and make 

 your pleasure to your content. Some use no rod at 

 all, but hold the line in links on their hand, using lead 

 and float. Others use a very great hook, with the hook 

 at the tail of the fish, and when the Pike rises,then they 

 strike at the first pull. Others put a strong string or 

 thread in at the mouth of the bait, and out at one of the 

 gills ; then over the head, and in at the other gill, and 

 so tie the bait to the hook, leaving a little length of the 

 thread or string betwixt the fish and the hook, that so 

 the Pike may turn the head of the bait, the better to 

 swallow it, and then as before ; after some pause, strike. 

 Some tie the bait-hook and line to a bladder or Bundle 

 of flags, or bull-rushes, fastening the line very gently 

 in the cleft of a small stick, to hold the bait from sink- 

 ing more than its allowed length, half a yard. The 

 stick must be fastened to the bladder or flags, to which 

 the line being tied, that it may easily unfold and run to 

 its length, and so give the Pike liberty to run away 

 with the bait, and by the bladder or flags, recover their 

 line again. You must observe this way to turn off your 

 bait with the wind or stream, that they may carry it 

 away. Some use, for more sport, if the Pike be a great 

 one, to tie the same to the foot of a goose, which the 

 Pike, if large, will sometimes pull under the water. 

 Before I proceed to give you each sort of bait for every 

 kind of fish, give me leave to add a caution or two, for 



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