212 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART I. 



Nature hath painted the body of this fish with whitish, black- 

 ish, brownish spots. They be usually full of eggs or spawn all 

 the summer, I mean the females ; and those eggs swell their 

 vents almost into the form of a dug. They begin to spawn 

 about April, and, as I told you, spawn several months in the 

 summer. And in the winter the Minnow, and Loach, and 

 Bull-Head dwell in the mud, 33 the Eel doth, or we know not 

 where ; no more than we know where the cuckoo and swallow, 

 and other half-year birds, which first appear to us in April, spend 

 their six cold, winter, melancholy months. This Bull-Head 

 does usually dwell and hide himself in holes, or amongst stones, 

 in clear water : and in very hot days will lie a long time very 

 still, and sun himself, and will be easy to be seen upon any flat 

 stone, or any gravel ; at which time he will suffer an Angler to 

 put a hook baited with a small worm very near unto his very 

 mouth : and he never refuses to bite, nor indeed to be caught 

 with the worst of Anglers. Matthiolus commends him much 

 more for his taste and nourishment than for his shape or 

 beauty. 



There is also a little fish called a STICKLEBAG : a fish with- 

 ' out scales, but hath his body fenced with several prickles. I 

 know not where he dwells in winter, nor what he is good for 

 in summer, but only to make sport for boys and women* 

 anglers, and to feed other fish that be fish of prey, as Trouts in 

 particular, who will bite at him as at a Penk; and better, 

 if your hook be rightly baited with him : for he may be so 

 baited as, his tail turning like the sail of a windmill, will make 

 him turn more quick than any Penk or Minnow can. For 

 note, that the nimble turning of that, or the Minnow, is the 

 perfection of Minnow fishing. To which end, if you put your 

 hook into his mouth, and out at his tail ; and then, having 

 first tied him with white thread a little above his tail, and 

 placed him after such a manner on your hook as he is like to 

 turn, then sew up his mouth to your line, and he is like to turn 

 quick, and tempt any Trout : but if he does not turn quick, 



