THE COMPLETE ANGLER.. 87 



hatli spent much time in fishing ; but I shall do it with a 

 little variation. 



First, let your rod be light, and very gentle ; I take the 

 best to be of two pieces : and let not your line exceed, 

 especially for three or four links next to the hook, I say, not 

 exceed three or four hairs at the most, though you may fish 

 a little stronger above, in the upper part of your line ; but if 

 you can attain to angle with one hair, you shall have more 

 rises, and catch more fish. Now you must be sure not to 

 cumber yourself with too long a line, as most do. And before 

 you begin to angle, cast to have the wind on your back ; and 

 the sun, if it shines, to be before you ; and to fish down the 

 stream; and carry the point or top of your rod downward, by 

 which means, the shadow of yourself and rod too, will be least 

 offensive to the fish ; for the sight of any shade amazes the 

 fish, and spoils your sport of which you must take agreat care. 



gentleman angler, that goeth to the river for his pleasure : this angler hath 

 neither, judgment nor experience : he may come home lightly laden at his 

 leisure. 



" A man that goeth to the river for his pleasure, must understand, when he 

 cometh there, to set forth his tackle. The first thing he must do, is to observe 

 the wind and sun for day, the moon, the stars, and the wanes of the air for 

 night, to set forth his tackles for day or night ; and accordingly to go for his 

 pleasure and some profit. 



" Now I am determined to angle with the ground-baits, and set my tackles 

 to my rod, and go to my pleasure. I begin at the uppermost part of the stream, 

 carrying my line with an upright hand, feeling my plummet running truly on 

 the ground some ten inches from the hook, plumming my line according to the 

 swiftness of the stream I angle in ; for one plummet will not serve for all 

 streams : for the true angling is, that the plummet run truly on the ground. 



" My lord sent to me, at sun going down, to provide him a good dish of 

 trouts against the next morning, by six o'clock. I went to the door to see 

 how the wanes of the air were like to prove. I returned answer, that I doubted 

 not, God willing, but to be provided at the time appointed. I went presently 

 to the river, and it proved very dark : I threw out a line of three silks and 

 three hairs twisted, for the uppermost part ; and a line of two hairs and two 

 silks twisted, for the lower part with a good large hook. I baited my hook 

 with two lob-worms, the four ends hanging us meet as I could guess them in 

 the dark. I fell to angle. It proved very dark, so that I had good sport ; 

 angling with the lob-worms the same as I do with the flies, on the top of the 

 water : You will hear the fish rise at the top of the water; then, you must 

 loose a slack line down to the bottom, as nigh as you can guess ; then hold 

 your line straight, feeling the fish bite ; give time, there is no doubt of losing 

 the fish, for there is not one amongst twenty but doth gorge the bait : the least 

 stroke you can strike fastens the hook, and makes the fish sure, letting the fish 

 take a turn or two ; you may take him up with your hands. The night began 

 to alter and grow somewhat lighter ; I took off the lob-worms, and set to my 

 rod a white palmer fly made of a large hook ; I had good sport for the time, 

 until it grew lighter ; so I took off the white palmer, and set to a red palmer, 

 made of a large hook ; I had good sport until it grew very light : then I took 



