THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 165 



not meddle with them, any farther than to wish them wiser ; 

 and shall tell you next, for I hope I may be so bold, that: 

 the tench is the physician of fishes, for the pike especially ; 

 and that the pike, being either sick or hurt, is cured by the 

 touch of the TENCH. And it is observed, that the tyrant 

 pike will not be a wolf to his physician, but forbears to 

 devour him though he be never so hungry. 



This fish, that carries a natural balsam in him to cure 



himself and others, loves yet to feed in very foul water, and 

 amongst weeds. And yet I am sure he eats pleasantly, and 

 doubtless, you will think so too, if you taste him. And I 

 shall therefore proceed to give you some few, and but a few, 

 directions how to catch this Tench, of which I have given 

 you these observations. 



He will bite a paste made of brown bread and honey, or at 

 a marsh- worm, or a lob-worm ; he inclines very much to any 

 paste with which tar is mixed : and he will bite also at a 

 smaller worm, with his head nipped off, and a cod-worm put 

 on the hook before that worm ; and I doubt not but that he 

 will also in the three hot months, for in the nine colder he 

 stirs not much, bite at a flag worm, or at a green gentle ; 

 but I can positively say no more of the tench,* he being a 



* The haunts of the tench are nearly the same with those of the carp. They 

 delight more in ponds than in rivers; and lie under weeds, near sluices, and 

 at pond-heads. They spawn about the beginning of July ; and are best in 

 season from the beginning of September to the end of May. They ?will bite 

 all the hot months ; but are taken best in April and May. There are no 

 better baits for this fish than a middle-sized lob-worm, or red-worm, well 

 scoured ; a gentle ; a young wasp grub, boiled ; or a green worm shook from 



