THE FIFTH DAY. 



CHAP. XXI. Directions for making of a Line t and for the color 

 ing of both Rod and Line, 



PlSCATOR. 



\ 17 ELL, Scholar, I have held you too long about these 

 * * cadis, and smaller fish, and rivers, and fish-ponds ; and 

 my spirits are almost spent, and so I doubt is your pa- 

 tience ; but being we are now almost at Tottenham, where I 

 first met you, and where we are to part, I will lose no time, 

 but give you a little direction how to make and order your 

 lines, and to color the hair of which you make your lines, for 

 that is very needful to be known of an Angler ; and also how 

 to paint your rod, especially your top ; for a right-grown top 

 is a choice commodity, and should be preserved from the 

 water soaking into it, which makes it in wet weather to be 

 heavy, and fish ill-favoredly, and not true; and also it rots 

 quickly for want of painting : and I think a good top is worth 

 preserving, or I had not taken care to keep a top above twenty 

 years. 



But first for your line. First, note, that you are to take care 

 that your hair be round and clear, and free from galls, or scabs, 

 or frets ; for a well-chosen, even, clear, round hair, of a kind 

 of glass-color, will prove as strong as three uneven, scabby 

 hairs, that are ill-chosen, and full of galls or unevenness. You 

 shall seldom find a black hair but it is round, but many white 

 are flat and uneven ; therefore if you get a lock of right, round, 

 clear, glass-color hair, make much of it. 



And for making your line, observe this rule : first let your 

 hair be clean washed ere you go about to twist it ; and then 



