86 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART i. 



trying to make a fly, though he miss at first, yet shall he at last 

 hit it better, even to such a perfection as none can well teach 

 him ; and if he hit to make his fly right, and have the luck to 

 hit also where there is store of trouts, a dark day, and a right 

 wind, he will catch such store of them, as will encourage him to 

 grow more and more in love with the art of fly-making. 



VEN. But, my loving master, if any wind will not serve, 

 then I wish j_\vere in Lapland, to buy a good wind pf._one 

 of the honest witches, that sell so many winds there, and so 

 cheapT 



TTsc. Marry, scholar, but I would not be there, nor indeed 

 from under this tree : for look how it begins to rain ; and by the 

 clouds, if I mistake not, we shall presently have a smoking 

 shower; and therefore sit close ; this sycamore tree will shelter 

 us : and I will tell you, as they shall come into my mind, more 

 observations of fly-fishing fora trout. 



But first, for the wind ; you are to take notice, that of the 1 

 winds, the south wind is said to be the best. One observes- 

 that 



"... when the wind is south, 

 It blows your bait into a fish's mouth." 



Next to that, the west wind is believed to be the best ; and 

 having told you that the east wind is the worst I need not 

 tell you which wind is the best in the third degree: and yet (as 

 Solomon observes), that "he that considers the wind shall never 

 sow," so he that busies his head too much about them, if the 

 weather be not made extreme cold by an east wind, shall be a 

 little superstitious : for as it is observed by some that "ibere is 

 ao-good hoxssjjfj^ bad colour," so I have observed, that if it be 

 a. cloudy day, and not extreme cold, let the wind set in what 

 corner it will and do its worst. I heed it not. Ariel yet take this 

 for a rule, that I would willingly fish standing on the lee-shore : 

 and you are to take notice, that the fish lies or swims nearer the 

 bottom, and in deeper water, in winter than in summer; and 

 also nearer the bottom in any cold day, and then gets nearest 

 the lee-side of the water. 



