14 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 



gentle, that the fish may the more insensibly run 

 away with the bait, and not be checked by its 

 being too stiff. 



For all fishes that bite tenderly, a rod made of 

 cane, reed, or bamboo, is the best ; only be care- 

 ful when you choose such a one that it will strike 

 well, and that the medium between the ferrel 

 and the joint that goes in, is not cut too fine; 

 for if it is, when you strike a good fish, it is ten 

 to one you will lose some part of your rod, your 

 line, and of course the fish ; a misfortune that 

 has often happened to me, before I was ac- 

 quainted with the above rule. 



A general rod, is one which serves for trolling, 

 dibbing, and the ground; for the former purpose 

 small brass rings must be whipped all the way 

 up it, at about a foot distance, for the trolling 

 line to run through ; it may likewise be bored 

 in the stock to hold the tops you are not using ; 

 that which you use for the troll must be strong, 

 and have a ring on the top whipped on with a 

 piece of quill, to prevent the line being cut 

 when the voracious pike runs off with your bait 

 to his hold : one of the others must not be so 

 stiff, which will serve for carps, tenches, &c. and 

 the other fine and elastic for dace and roach 

 fishing. These kind of rods, which are called 

 bag-rods, and go up in a small compass, are to 

 be had of all the fishing-tackle shops in Lon- 

 don. 



These rods when put altogether, should be 

 sixteen feet long, which will do for pike or bar- 

 bel ; fchey should be ringed to a nicety, using a 

 brass multiplying winch at the butt, and a strong 

 spike, which will be found of great use; for bv 



retiring from the river, and fixing the rod up- 

 right in the ground, (by means of the spike) 



