ii4 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PARTI. 



good way to use so many ledger-baits as you intend to make 

 trial of. 



Or if you bait your hooks thus with live fish or frogs, and in 

 a windy day fasten them thus to a bough or bundle of straw, 

 and by the help of that wind can get them to move across a 

 pond or mere, you are like to stand still on the shore and see 

 sport presently if there be any store of pikes ; or these live baits 

 may make sport, being tied about the body or wings of a goose 

 or duck, and she chased over a pond ; and the like may be done 

 with turning three or four live baits thus fastened to bladders, 

 or boughs, or bottles of hay or flags, to swim down a river, 

 whilst you walk quietly alone on the shore, and are still in ex- 

 pectation of sport. The rest must be taught you by practice, 

 for time will not allow me to say more of this kind of fishing 

 with live baits. 



And for your dead bait for a pike, for that you may be taught 

 by one day's going a fishing with me, or any other body that 

 fishes for him, for the baiting your hook with a dead gudgeon 

 or a roach, and moving it up and down the water, is too easy a 

 thing to take up any time to direct you to do it; and yet, be- 

 cause I cut you short in that, I will commute for it by telling 

 you that that was told me for a secret : it is this : 



Dissolve gum of ivy in oil of spike, and therewith anoint your 

 dead bait for a pike, and then cast it into a likely place, and 

 when it has lain a short time at the bottom, draw it towards the 

 top of the water, and so up the stream, and it is more than likely 

 that you have a pike follow with more than common eagerness. 



And some affirm that any bait anointed with the marrow of 

 the thigh-bone of an hern is a great temptation to any fish. 



These have not been tried by me, but told me by a friend of 

 note, that pretended to do me a courtesy ; but if this direction 

 to catch a pike thus do you no good, yet I am certain this 

 direction how to roast him when he is caught is choicely good, 

 for I have tried it, and it is somewhat the better for not being 

 common; but with my direction you must take this caution, 

 that your pike must not be a small one, that is, it must be more 

 than half a yard, and should be bigger. 



