BAITS FOR TROLLING. 237 



Snap ; some will take a piece of hard cheese, or pack- 

 wax, a rasher of bacou, or sheep's gut, or almost any 

 thing that is radiant and shining ; some will float on the 

 top with a live bird, a Swallow or a Sparrow ; though 

 I judge that may be more out of curiosity than- for pro- 

 fit or sport. I never admired this way of Snap, as 

 thinking it too quick and surprising, to give any diver- 

 sion; the sport of Trolling consisting more in the 

 managing the bite, in the playing of a Pike, and his 

 eager biting and running with the bait, than just a word 

 and a blow, snapping him up and putting him into the 

 bag. 



One time of the year the Snap is best, that is in 

 March, when they nre sick and about casting their 

 spawn, for then if your Snap-hook is made the right 

 way, with springs to strike sure, you may take four or 

 five in the time the Pouch takes one ; some fancy th 

 Snap-hook plays the bait more lively and natural, 

 though there may be no great difference, especially if 

 the Pouch-hook be fastened to the line with a swivel, 

 which is very conducible to the playing of a bait. 



Some there are that fish with live baits, and have 

 short hooks fashioned accordingly, with more joints 

 and without lead ; but that is rather a destroying and 

 poaching way, than any fair fishing : it makes such a 

 slaughter amongst the fish, that it is not fit to be used ; 

 for 1 have known some rivers that have been quickly 

 eased of their burthen of fish by that unlawful trade. 



The method they use is to lay in three or four score 

 of these hooks, which may reach almost a mile ; after 

 they have lain four or five hours, or more, or presently 

 after they have lain the last, they begin to take up tbe 

 first ; so that they will kill perhaps a score of Pikes 

 and Jacks ; which way (if allowable) is the ready 

 course to empty a river, and engross all the sport to 

 themselves; two or three at a time is enough to content 

 any moderate Troller, that would have others .partake 

 of the recreation as well as himself, and not fish above 

 once or twice in a season at the same place. The 

 means to preserve and continue this sport is to favour 



