304 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. &AILT II. 



when I have seen by the forenamed accidents, or the slipping 

 of a knot in the upper part of the line, by sudden and hard 

 striking, that though the line has immediately been recovered, 

 almost before it could be all drawn into the water, the fish 

 cleared, and was gone in a moment. And yet, to justify what 

 he says, I have sometimes known a Trout, having carried away 

 a whole line, found dead three or four days after, with the 

 hook fast sticking in him ; but then it is to be supposed he had 

 gorged it, which a Trout will do, if you be not too quick with 

 him, when he comes at a Minnow, as sure and much sooner 

 than a Pike ; and I myself have also, once or twice in my life, 

 taken the same fish with my own fly sticking in his chaps, that 

 he had taken from me the day before, by the slipping of a hook 

 in the arming. But I am very confident a Trout will not be 

 troubled two hours with any hook, that has so much as one 

 handful of line left behind with it, or that is not struck through 

 a bone, if it be in any part of his mouth only : nay, I do cer- 

 tainly know that a Trout, so soon as ever he feels himself 

 pricked, if he carries away the hook, goes immediately to the 

 bottom, and will there root like a hog upon the gravel, till he 

 either rub out, or break the hook in the middle. And so much 

 for this sort of angling in the middle for a Trout. 



The second way of angling in the middle is with a Worm, 

 Grub, Cadis, or any other ground-bait for a Grayling; and 

 that is with a cork, and a foot from the bottom, a Grayling 

 taking it much better there than at the bottom, as has been said 

 before ; and this always in a clear water, and with the finest 

 tackle. 



To which we may also, and with very good reason, add the 

 third way of angling by hand with a ground-bait, as a third 

 way of fishing in the middle, which is common to both Trout 

 and Grayling ; and, as I said before, the best way of angling 

 with a worm of all other I ever tried whatever. 



And now, Sir, I liave said all I can at present thin,k of con- 



