THE TROLLING LINE. 243 



most resembling water. It may be only fancy that one 

 colour is of more consequence than another, yet some- 

 times pleasing the fancy does so much enliven and en- 

 courage the fisherman, that it makes him the mor<? 

 active; and if his fancy diverts him another way, he 

 will take the less care. 



Next to silk, the best sort of green thread, though 

 it i? neither so handsome nor so durable as silk, yet it 

 may last a year or two; but wears like other things, 

 according to the care and good keeping of the user : for 

 if it is laid up wet and on a heap, as soon as you have 

 done fishing, and take no more care of it, you may rot 

 as many lines as you catch Pikes. The best way of 

 preserving it is to wax it sometimes with bees'. wax, 

 and when it is wet to wind it up loosely in long fold, 

 ings, that the air may come in to dry it, or else let it 

 dry at length and wind it upon a roll; with such usage, 

 a silk line will last beyond your expectation. 



Silk and hair may be mingled in the making of a 

 line; some make them of silk and silver, thinking that 

 way to preserve it : though the addition of silver may 

 be rather to please their fancy and the gaiety of their 

 humour than to keep their line from perishing : such 

 as those should have silver hooks to their silver lines : 

 if it cannot take fish itself in the water, it may take 

 them ready caught, and so be useful in saving their 

 credit. 



There are other sorts of coarse lines very short, not 

 above half the length of the trolling-line, which are to 

 fish with a ledger-bait, or to lie all night, being tied to 

 a lloat, and cast into the water. 



These are not made of such fine stuff, nor so well 

 twisted as the other, and only serve in some exigencies, 

 as when a Pike that will not be invited by trolling, may 

 be better pleased with a bait that is laid for him, he 

 will sometimes so humble himself as to take it off the 

 bottom ; but it is the wiser to tie a stick or a cork to 

 the line, that it may hang about a foot or more from the 

 ground, observing the wind, for if you throw it in 

 against the wind, it will drive it backwards, and 

 y 2 



