124 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



that he lives not so long as the perch and divers other fishes 

 do, as Sir Francis Bacon hath observed in his " History of 

 Life and Death." 



And now you are to take notice, that he is not like the 

 crocodile, which if he lives never so long, yet always thrives 

 till his death. And you are to know, that he will about, 

 especially before, the time of his spawning, get almost 

 miraculously through weirs and flood-gates against the 

 streams ; even through such high and swift places as is 

 almost incredible. Next, that the trout usually spawns about 

 October or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or 

 later ; which is the more observable, because most other fish 

 spawn in the spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed 

 both the earth and the water, and made it fit for generation. 

 And you are to note, that he continues many months out of 

 season ; for it may be observed of the trout, that he is like 

 the buck or the ox, that he will not be fat in many months, 

 though he go in the very same pasture that horses do, which 

 will be fat in one month : and so you may observe, that 

 most other fishes recover strength, and grow sooner fat and 

 in season, than the trout doth. 



And next you are to note, that till the sun gets to such a 

 height as to warm the earth and the water, the trout is sick 

 and lean, and lousy, and unwholesome ; for you shall in 

 winter find him to have a big head, and then to be lank, 

 and thin, and lean : at which time many of them have 

 sticking on them sugs, or trout- lice, which is a kind of 

 worm, in shape like a clove or pin, with a big head, and 

 sticks close to him and sucks his moisture : those I think 

 the trout breeds himself, and never thrives till he free him* 

 self from them, which is when warm weather comes ; and 



