204 THE COMPLETE ANGLEK. 



I think, for any fish, especially for roach, dace, chub, or gray- 

 ling : I know not but that it may be as good for a river carp, 

 and especially if the ground be a little baited with it. 

 And you may also note that the spawn* of most fish is a 



* Barker, who wrote very briefly but well about angling before Walton, 

 seems to have been the first to discover that the ova of the salmon tribe were 

 capital baits for several fresh-water fish. Indeed, they are a natural bait, 

 because when salmon and salmonidse are in the act of spawning, or depositing 

 their ova for the purpose of procreation, they are watched, not only by varieties 

 of their own genus and species, but by other fish, which devour the ova that 

 are washed away from the spawning beds by the current, and frequently dart 

 into the beds themselves to feed upon the spawn. It requires the united efforts 

 of the spawning fish to beat them off. Barker advises angling with the roe or 

 spawn in its raw state, which is very inconvenient and defective. To remedy 

 this it is now preserved, and the recipe for doing so is given underneath. 

 Barker, writing to Lord Montague, his patron, says : 



" Noble Lord, I have found an experience of late, which you may angle 

 with, and take great store of this kind of fish. First, It is the best bait for a 

 trout that I have seen in all my time ; and will take great store, and not fail, 

 if they be there. Secondly, It is a special bait for dace or dare, good for chub 

 or bottlin, or grayling. The bait is the roe of a salmon or trout ; if it be a 

 large trout that the spawns be anything great, you may angle for the trout 

 with the bait as you angle with the brandling, taking a pair of scissors, and 

 cut so much as a large hazel nut, and bait your hook, so fall to your sport ; 

 there is no doubt of pleasure. If I had known it but twenty years ago, I 

 would have gained a hundred pounds only with that bait. I am bound in 

 duty to divulge it to your honour, and not to carry it to my grave with me. I 

 do desire that men of quality should have it that delight in that pleasure. The 

 greedy angler will murmur at me, but for that I care not. 



" For the angling for the scale-fish, they must angle either with cork or 

 quill, plumming their ground, and with feeding with the same bait, taking 

 them asunder, that they may spread abroad, that the fish may feed and come 

 to your place : there is no doubt of pleasure, angling with fine tackle ; as 

 single hair lines, at least five or six lengths long, a small hook, with two or 

 three spawns. The bait will hold one week ; if you keep it on any longer, you 

 must hang it up to dry a little : when you go to your pleasure again, put the 

 bait in a little water, it will come in kind again." 



RECIPE TOR PRESERVING SALMON-ROE. It should be taken from the female 

 salmon a few days before she spawns, and the process of preservation should 

 commence immediately. As soon as the roe is taken from the fish, it must be 

 put in a capacious earthen pan, and cold water poured upon it. After a few 

 minutes' immersion, pour off the cold water, and pour in tepid water. Wash 

 the ova, and separate them delicately with your fingers, breaking none if you 

 can help it. Remove from them all skin. Pour off the water, and add some 

 more clean and warm. Continue to do so until the roe becomes quite clean, 

 and freed from all film. The water must not be too hot a little more than 

 milk-warm. The last washing must be with cold water, which being drained 

 off, place the roe in a hair sieve until it be dry. To every pound of completely 

 cleansed roe put two ounces of ordinary salt, mixing well with the fingers, so 

 that each ovum be salted. Drain off the brine afterwards by placing the roe 

 in a sieve or cullender for a few hours. Place it, or rather spread it, on a 

 shallow dish, set half horizontally at a moderate distance from the fire, and 

 keep stirring with the handle of a wooden ladle, so that each pea of roe may 

 dry separately, and that there be no adhesion between any. When dry set it 

 to cool, and when quite cold pot it. Press it gently but closely down in 



