114 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



In the first chapter Venables chooses the cane in 

 preference to the hazel rod, on account of the length, 

 lightness, and casting power of the former. The 

 remainder of this chapter contains nothing original. 



In the second chapter the author takes "leave to 

 dissent from the opinion of such who assign a certain 

 fly to each Moneth, whereas I am certain scarce any 

 one sort of flye doth continue its colour and virtue one 

 Moneth ; and generally all flies last a much shorter 

 time, except the stone fly (which some call the May 

 fly) which is bred of the water-cricket, which creepeth 

 out of the River, and gets under the stones by the 

 water side, and there turneth to a fly, and lyeth under 

 the stones ; the May fly and the reddish flye with ashie 

 gray wings." 



Like most pike anglers, Venables would not agree 

 with the late Sir Courtenay Boyle, who said that " A 

 fly is one of the best baits for pike that you can 

 possibly have, whether in a lake, river, or brook." 

 This appears from his list : 



What fish rise best at the fly, both natural and 

 artificial. In general, all sorts of flies are very good 

 in their season, for such fish as will rise at the flie, as 

 Salmon, Trout, Umber, Grayling, Bleak, Chevin, 

 Roch, Dace, &c. Though some of these fish do 

 love some flies better than other; except the fish 

 named I know not any sort or kind that will 

 (ordinarily and freely) rise at the flie, though I know 

 some do angle for Bream and Pike with artificial flies, 

 but I judgethe labour lost, and the knowledge aneedless 

 curiosity, those fish being taken much easier (especially 

 the Pike) by other wayes : All the forementioned 



