CHAPTER VII 



THE Angler } s Delight, by William Gilbert, Gent., 

 was published in 1676. The author of this work 

 certainly cannot be said to have fulfilled the claim, 

 which he makes in his preface, to "have here laid 

 open the whole Art and Mystery of Clean, Neat, 

 and Gentile Angling, in a far more Plain, and Easie 

 Way, than ever was yet in Print ; All from Experi- 

 ence, and not Borrowed from other Books, and many 

 things never before heard of, by most People," for 

 in the first part of the book, dealing with angling 

 in general, he entirely shirks giving practical instruc- 

 tions, except where he extracts, almost verbatim, 

 from Walton, the method of spinning for trout. 

 In the second part, in which he deals with the 

 method of fishing in the Hackney River, he seems 

 to be more solicitous for the refreshment of the 

 angler than anxious to instruct him in "Gentile 

 Angling." 



The author commences with the pike, because he 

 is "the King and Commander of all Fresh-Water 

 Fish." He gives full directions how to catch this 



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