HO ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



any care or deliberation. Old Fish are more wary 

 and cunning, they are sooner taken with a Line laid 

 for them all night, then by Trolling. 



Nobbes gives very good advice in regard to the 

 landing of the fish : 



When you have after all this divertisement brought 

 him to the Bank, you will find something to do, 

 before you can confidently call him your own ; for 

 if you go unadvisedly to take him out, either by the 

 Back or the Tail, or any part of his Body, though 

 you may think his best is past, and his dancing days 

 are done, yet he may cut you another Capor ; and 

 if he has had a little breathing time, he may give 

 another leap, when you do not expect it ; the best 

 way then, is to use fair means, and invite to the land 

 by persuasions, not compulsions, taking him by the 

 Head, and putting your fingers into his Eyes, which 

 is the fastest hold. If the Water be low, so that the 

 Bank rises some distance from it ; you must not fear 

 catching an Ague, by laying your Belly level with 

 the ground, especially if you have no contrivance to 

 guide him out to a more commodious place : some 

 will adventure to take him by the Gills, though that 

 hold is neither so secure nor so safe for the Fisher ; 

 because the Fish in that heat of passion, may acci- 

 dentally take revenge upon his Adversary, by letting 

 him blood in his Fingers, which way of Phlebotomiz- 

 ing is not esteemed so good, because some are of 

 opinion, that the teeth of a Pike are Venomous, and 

 those Wounds very difficult to be healed. 



Nobbes does not recommend, nor does he appear 

 to have had any experience of, the use of a landing- 

 net, which he supposes " is made in the fashion of a 

 little Sparrow Net." He somewhat sarcastically con- 



