97 



Itotli observation and experience. The youtiiful angler, 

 unaccustomed to explore, and to remark upon every 

 stream that may fall in his way, must necessarily often be 

 at a loss where to cast his line. In general, he selects 

 those parts where he sees many fishes leaping : in some 

 instances his doing so will lead him to excellent diversion; 

 but that can only be at such hours, and in such seasons, 

 as fishes are apt to sport in, and he may be egregiously 

 mistaken as to the kinds offish thus rising. 



The angler who comes to a strange water, cannot do 

 better than inquire of any townspeople, or labourers he 

 may see, as to the sorts of fish it contains, and the seve- 

 ral places where the gentry of the neighbourhood resort 

 \vith their tackle. These will sometimes save much 

 trouble, and lead to immediate success; for I. have re- 

 marked, that even those persons who do not angle them- 

 selves, rarely fail to notice the spots where they perceive 

 others, fond of tins recreation, take their stands. 



Nevertheless, in this particular we are subject to the 

 errors arising both from the ignorance of our informers, 

 find from the mischievous pranks and misleadings of those 

 who, either from caprice, or from thinking themselves 

 interested in debarring us from a knowledge of die select 

 situations, take great pains to guide us to places where 

 not a fish of consequence is to be had j 



The millers, and the bargemen, are generally best in- 

 formed as to the deep holes, and other haunts, where 

 the fish lay in greatest numbers, and are of a good size j 

 but both those classes of people belong (with so few ex- 

 ceptions as, virtually, to be no exception) to that gang 

 of poachers, who rob the waters of whatever their nets 

 can grasp. These, almost to a man, will set ycu en a 

 * wild- 



