162 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



Impurities after Spawning, but from all their muddy 

 terrene Particles and gross Humours, acquired by 

 their extraordinary excessive Feeding all the 

 Summer in fresh Rivers. . . . And when they are 

 fatted and glutted with their long, excessive Feeding 

 in fresh Rivers, and have spawn'd in the latter end 

 of the Year, repair to the Sea for Warmness, and to 

 be purged from their gross Humours by the Calidity 

 of the Saline Water ; and when Winter is over, 

 return to their Summer Habitations. 



Hewlett is, I believe, the first author to describe 

 the method of fixing rings to a rod. In dealing with 

 salmon-fishing he gives the following directions : 



About Four Inches above your Tumbrel strike 

 into your Stock a Loop made of stiff Iron-Wire, up 

 to the Head, for the Line to run through, having first 

 made Two little Holes in your Stock with a very 

 small Awl, to let in the sharp Ends of the Loop, lest 

 you flat the Head of the Loop by driving it in : 

 After the same manner drive in such Loops all the 

 way up your Stock, about a Foot and a half, or Two 

 Foot, one Loop from another ; and be sure to place 

 the Loops so, that they may stand in a direct Line 

 one against another, that your Silk-Line may run 

 smooth through them all. 



When you have thus looped the Stock of your 

 Rod, loop also the top after this manner ; Take small 

 Brass- Wire, neal it very well, and therewith make 

 Loops of the same Fashion as the other, but some- 

 what longer, and bind them on your Top length-ways, 

 with a strong well waxed Silk, so far only as to leave 

 the Eye of the Loop unbound, to be turned up, for 

 your Silk-Line to run through, as those on your 

 Stock ; place them about half a Yard one from 

 another, and right against one another, as you were 

 directed to do on the Stock, till you come to the 



