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and chi-rish it. )t is an e-isv matter inred to take 

 half a duzrn. or more, if he would stick at it a whole 

 day in the beginning of the year, before the waters are 

 beaten or dragged, then they are so plentiful, that they 

 shew themselves in every corner. 



As for a sweet and delicious bait, a piece of an Eel 

 may be preferred, which if once taken and tasted, a 

 Pike wiil assuredly feed upon it; this may be experi. 

 enced in ponds and stews, when they throw in Grigs 

 to feed the Pikes. Of all the small fish, a Perch makes 

 the worst bait, yet that may be used in a case of neces. 

 sity, if you first cut off the fins and prickles on his 

 back, though when you have done all you can, it will 

 be but to little purpose ; for a Perch is like a Prince 

 among the fish, and a Pike is in so much fear of him, 

 and hath that antipathy against him, that he will sooner 

 fasten upon one of his own kind than upon him ; yet I 

 have seen small Perch taken out of a Pike's belly, but 

 it was in a moat where he was kept short and had little 

 else to feed upon : but if you are confined to this bait, 

 and can get no other, it is best to scrape off some of the 

 scales, it being a dark fish, it wiil make it brighter ; 

 and still the Snap is the best hook for it, because if the 

 scales of the Perch are on, a Pike cannot easily gorge 

 or digest it. A small Jack is a far better bait, though 

 it seems unnatural, yet fish are not bound to observe 

 the laws of nature ; if it be a foot long, it may be cut 

 in two, and so made use of : a young Chub may be 

 very useful, or any fish that shines in the water: a 

 Bleak is a very bright bait. 



The way to keep and preserve your baits till you 

 have occasion to use them, is first to take a cast.net 

 and throw it, choosing those that are most fit for the 

 purpose; having a trunk ready to put them in, and then 

 to take them out by two or three as occasion serves. 

 In Summer time you may take them with au angle, but 

 that is very uncertain ; nor can you have any choice 

 that way, because they wiil often be too little or too 

 big, besides it spends too much time that is intended for 

 Trolling. Sometimes you may take with one bait fresh 



