190 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



beginner, or to improve him in the Art of Angling. 

 To this may be added that these abound frequently 

 with a description of the various Nets, by which Fish 

 may be taken ; how to lay Night lines ; how to Snare 

 Fish ; with other clandestine methods, by which they 

 may be destroyed : But this is downright Poaching, 

 which has nothing to do with Angling. There is as 

 much difference between an Angler and a Poacher, 

 as between the Fair Trader and the Smugler; and 

 the Legislature were sensible of this, when they made 

 the Practice of one Penal, and laid no restraint upon 

 the other. 



Unless the passage quoted below is a libel upon 

 the anglers of the author's generation, novices in the 

 art must then have experienced rather a bad 

 time : 



For most Anglers generally take a Pleasure in 

 deluding young Beginners, and leading them astray, 

 by sending them to such places, as are unfrequented 

 by Fish, and by telling them that such Baits are 

 proper, when they know the contrary. 



The chief part of this book is copied from the 

 Compleat Angler and other angling works ; there are, 

 however, a few original passages. 



Walton's directions for making an artificial minnow 

 are given, with the addition of the following mention 

 of a tin minnow : 



Another sort of Artificial Minnow is made of Tin, 

 and painted very naturally, which will be of great 

 service when live minnows cannot be had, and may 

 be bought at the Fish Tackle shops, but they are 

 dear. 



