156 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



Now for the minnow or penk : he is not easily found and 

 caught till March, or in April, for then he appears first in the 

 river ; nature having taught him to shelter and hide himself, 

 in the winter, in ditches that be near to the river ; and there 

 both to hide and keep himself warm, in the mud, or in the 

 weeds, which rot not so soon as in a running river, in which 

 place if he were in winter, the distempered floods that are 

 usually in that season would suffer him to take no rest, but 

 carry him headlong to mills and weirs, to his confusion. And 

 of these minnows : first you are to know that the biggest 

 size is not the best ; and next, that the middle size and 

 the whitest are the best ; and then you are to know that your 

 minnow must be so put on your hook, that it must turn 

 round when it is drawn against the stream ; and, that it may 

 turn nimbly, you must put it on a big-sized hook, as I shall 

 now direct you, which is thus : put your hook in at his mouth 

 and out at his gill ; then, having drawn your hook two or 

 three inches beyond or through his gill, put it again into his 

 mouth, and the point and beard out at his tail ; and then 

 tie the hook and his tail about, very neatly, with a white 

 thread, which will make it the apter to turn quick in the 

 water : that done, pull back that part of your line which was 

 slack when you did put your hook into the minnow the 

 second time ; I say, pull that part of your line back, so that 

 it shall fasten the head, so that the body of the minnow 

 shall be almost straight on your hook : this done, try how it 

 will turn, by drawing it across the water or against a stream ; 

 and if it do not turn nimbly, then turn the tail a little to the 

 right or left hand, and try again, till it turn quick ; for if not, 

 you are in danger to catch nothing : for know, it is impos- 

 sible that it should turn too quick ; and you are yet to know 



