THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 213 



There is also a fish called a Sticklebag, a fish without 

 scales, but hath his body fenced with several prickles. I 

 know not where he dwells in winter, nor what he is good for 

 in summer, but only to make sport for boys and women- 

 anglers, and to feed other fish that be fish of prey, as trout 

 in. particular, who will bite at him as at a penk, and better, 

 if your hook be rightly baited with him ; for he may be so-- 

 baited as, his tail turning like the sail of a windmill, will 

 make him turn more quick than any penk or minnow can. 

 For note, that the nimble turning of that, or the minnow, is 

 the perfection of minnow fishing. To which end, if you put 

 your hook into his mouth, and out at his tail, and then, 

 having first tied him with white thread a little above his 

 tail, and placed him after such a manner on your hook, as he 

 is like to turn, then sew up his mouth to your line, and he 

 is like to tm*n quick, and tempt any trout ; but if he do not 

 turn quick, then turn his tail a little more or less towards 

 the inner part, or towards the side of the hook, or put the 

 minnow, or sticklebag, a little more crooked or more straight 

 on your hook, until it will turn both true and fast, and then 

 doubt not but to tempt any great trout that lies in a swift 

 stream.* And the loach that I told you of will do the 

 like : no bait is more tempting, provided the loach be not 

 too big. 



And now, scholar, with the help of this fine morning, and 

 your patient attention, I have said all that my present memory 

 will afford me, concerning most of the several fish that are 

 usually fished for in fresh waters. 



YEN. But, master, you have, by your former civility, made 

 me hope that you will make good your promise, and say 

 something of the several rivers that be of most note in this 

 nation ; and also of fish-ponds, and the ordering of them ; 

 and do it, I pray, good master, for I love any discourse of 

 rivers, and fish and fishing ; the time spent in such discourse 

 passes away very pleasantly. 



sixteenth century, famous for his commentaries on some of the writings of 

 Dioscoricles. 



* See remarks on spinning for trout at the close of chap. 5. ED. 



