MAKING AND CHOOSING RODS, &C. 15 



you will keep a tight line, your rod will play 

 with every stroke the fish makes, and you will 

 easily land him with your net. 



Rods for roach, dace, tench, chub, bream, and 

 carp, should not have the top so gentle as those 

 for the fly, btrt pretty stiflf, that the rod may ex- 

 actly answer the motion of the hand. Roach 

 and dace only nibble, and if you strike not in 

 that very moment (especially if you fish with 

 paste or any tender bait), you miss them be- 

 cause the top is too pliant. 



I with much pleasure recommend the angler 

 to that of Mr. William March, of Fleet-street. 



Angling Line. To make this Line, first note, 

 that you are to take care that your hair be round 

 and clear, and free from galls, scales, or frets ; 

 for a well-chosen, even, clear round hair, of a 

 kind of glass colour, will prove as strong as three 

 tmeven scabby hairs ; then put them in water 

 for a quarter of an hour, when made into 

 lengths, and you will thereby find which of them 

 shrink; then twist them ov T again; some in 

 the twisting intermingle silk, which is errone- 

 ous, yet a line of all silk may do pretty well, 

 though I prefer hair in ever) 7 mode of angling, 

 except trolling, and then a silk line is best* 

 Now the best colours for lines are sorrel, white, 

 and grey ; the two last colours for clear waters, 

 and the first for muddy waters, neither is the 

 pale watery green despicable, which is made 

 thus ; put a pint of strong alum water ; half a 

 pound of soot, a small quantity of juice of wal- 

 nut leaves, in a pipkin, boil them about half an 

 hour, then take it off the fire, and when it is 

 cold steep your hair in it ; or else boil an handful 

 of marygold flowers, with a quart of alum water, 

 till a yellow scum arises, then take half a pound 

 c 2 



