ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 81 



Barker does not lay so much stress on the weather 

 as the writer who preceded him : " Thus must you 

 goe to work with your Flies, light for darknesse and 

 dark for lightnesse with the Winde in the South, 

 then that blows the Flie in the Trouts mouth. 

 Though I set down the Wind being in the South, 

 if the weather be warm, I am indifference where 

 the Winde standeth either with ground Bait or 

 Menow, so that I can cast my Bait into the River." 

 He thus anticipated Walton in expressing indifference 

 to the direction of the wind, provided that the other 

 conditions were favourable. 



Barker must have been an exceedingly skilful 

 angler, or else very richly endowed with the fisher- 

 man's proverbial gift for exaggeration ; there are 

 very few anglers nowadays who, with the most 

 modern and improved appliances, could land the 

 greatest trout that swims on a single hair. 



The first thing you must gain, must be a neat 

 taper Rod, light before, with a tender hazel top 

 which is very gentle. If you desire to attain my 

 way of Angling (for I have angled these fourty years) 

 with a single hair of five lengths, one tyed to another 

 for the bottom of my Line, and a Line of three haired 

 links for the upper-most part, and so you may kill 

 the greatest Trout that swims with Sea room. 



Hee that Angles with a Line made of three haired 

 links at the bottom, and more at the top, may kill 

 Fish : but he that Angles with one hair shall kill five 

 Trouts to the others one, for the Trout is very quick 

 sighted ; therefore the best way for night or day, is to 

 keep out of sight. You must Angle always with the 



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