90 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. (PART t 



an Angler sport, but either live their time of being in the fresh 

 water by their meat formerly gotten in the sea, not unlike the 

 swallow or frog, or by the virtue of the fresh water only ; or as 

 the Bird of Paradise and the Chameleon are said to live, by the 

 sun and the air. 



There is also in Northumberland a Trout called a Bull-Trout, 

 of a much greater length and bigness than any in these southern 

 parts : and there are in many rivers that relate to the sea Salmon - 

 Trouts, as much different from others, both in shape and in their 

 spots, as we see sheep in some countries differ one from another 

 in their shape and bigness, and in the fineness of their wool ; 

 and certainly, as some pastures breed larger sheep, so do some 

 rivers, by reason of the ground over which they run, breed 

 larger Trouts. 



Now the next thing that I will commend to your considera- 

 tion is, that the Trout is of a more sudden growth than other 

 fish : concerning which you are also to take notice, that he lives 

 not so long as the Perch and divers other fishes do, as Sir Francis 

 Bacon hath observed in his " History of Life and Death." 



And next you are to take notice, that he is not like the Croc- 

 odile, which, if he lives never so long, yet always thrives till 

 his death : but 't is not so with the Trout ; for after he has come 

 to his full growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his big- 

 ness or thrives only in his head, till his death. And you are to 

 know, that he will about, especially before, the time of his 

 spawning, get almost miraculously through weirs and flood-gates 

 against the streams : even through such high and swift places as 

 is almost incredible. Next, that the Trout usually spawns about 

 October or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or later : 

 which is the more observable, because most other fish spawn in 

 the spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth 

 and water, and made it fit for generation. And you are to note, 

 that he continues many months out of season : for it may be ob- 

 served of the Trout, that he is like the Buck or the Ox, that 

 will not be fat in many months, though he go in the very same 



