ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 117 



then see his stomach ; it is known by its largeness 

 and place, lying from the Gills to the small guts ; 

 take it out very tenderly, (if you bruise it your labour 

 and design are lost) and with a sharp Knife cut it 

 open without bruising, and then you may find his food 

 in it, and thereby discover what bait the fish at that 

 instant takes best, flies or ground-baits, and so fit 

 them accordingly. 



Venables thus discourses on the up or down stream 

 controversy : 



And here I meet with two different opinions and 

 practises, some alwayes cast their flie and bait up the 

 water, and so they say nothing occurreth to the fishes 

 sight but the line ; others fish down the River and so 

 suppose (the rod and line being long) the quantity of 

 water takes away, or at least lesseneth the fishes 

 sight ; but the other affirm, that rod and line, and 

 perhaps your self are seen also. 



Double hooks for salmon are generally supposed 

 to be a new invention, and John Bickerdyke in his 

 excellent and practical manual, Angling for Game 

 Fish (1889), asserts that "Double hooks are also a 

 comparative novelty, and much abused by old- 

 fashioned anglers." That such is not the case is 

 clearly shown by the subjoined extract from the 

 fourth edition of the Experienced Angler (1676): 



Young Salmons under a quarter of a yard long, 

 have tender mouths, so as they are apt to break their 

 hold : to obviate which inconvenience, I have known 

 some that use to fasten two hooks together, in like 

 manner as some double Pike hooks lately used in 

 Trowling are made, not with the points opposite 



