120 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PARTI. 



and made their honeycombs, and how they have obeyed their 

 king, and governed their commonwealth. But it is thought that 

 all carps are not bred by generation; but that some breed other 

 ways, as some pikes do. 



The physicians make the galls and stones in the heads of 

 carps to be very medicinable. But it is not to be doubted but 

 that in Italy they make great profit of the spawn of carps by 

 selling it to the Jews, who make it into red caviare ; the Jews 

 not being by their law admitted to eat of caviare made of the 

 sturgeon, that being a fish that wants scales and, as may 

 appear in Lev. xi. 10 by them reputed to be unclean. 



Much more might be said out of him, and out of Aristotle, 

 which Dubravius often quotes in his Discourse of Fishes ; but 

 it might rather perplex than satisfy you : and therefore I shall 

 rather choose to direct you how to catch, than spend more time 

 in discoursing either of the nature or the breeding of this CARP, 

 or of any more circumstances concerning him; but yet I shall 

 remember you of what I told you before, that he is a very subtle 

 fish, and hard to be caught. 



And my first direction is, that if you will fish for a carp, you 

 must put on a very large measure of patience ; especially to 

 fish for a river carp ; I have known a very good fisher angle 

 diligently four or six hours in a day, for three or four days 

 together, for a river carp, and not have a bite. And you are 

 to note that in some ponds it is as hard to catch a carp as 

 in a river ; that is to say, where they have store of feed, and 

 the water is of a clayish colour; but you are to remember 

 I have told you there is no rule without an exception ; and 

 therefore being possessed with that hope and patience which 

 I wish to all fishers, especially to the carp-angler, I shall tell 

 you with what bait to fish for him. But first, you are to know 

 that it must be either early or late ; and let me tell you that 

 in hot weather, for he will seldom bite in cold, you cannot be 

 too early or too late at it. And some have been so curious 

 as to say the tenth of April is a fatal day for carps. 



The carp bites either at worms or at paste ; and of worms 

 I think the bluish marsh or meadow worm is best; but 



