2l8 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



opinion of Pliny, and Cardanus d (in his tenth book "De Sub- 

 tilitate") undertakes to give a reason for the raining of frogs ; 

 but if it were in my power, it should rain none but water- 

 frogs, for those I think are not venomous, especially the right 

 water-frog, which about February or March breeds in ditches 

 by slime, and blackish eggs in that slime, about which time 

 of breeding the he and she-frogs are observed to use divers 

 summersaults, and to croak and make a noise, which the 

 land-frog, or padock-frog, never docs. Now of these water- 

 frogs, if you intend to fish with a frog for a pike, you are to 

 choose the yellowest that you can get, for that the pike ever 

 likes best. And thus use your frog, that he may continue 

 long alive : 



Put your hook into his mouth, which you may easily do 

 from the middle of April till August; and then the frog's 

 mouth grows up, and he continues so for at least six months 

 without eating, but is sustained none but He whose name is 

 Wonderful knows how: I say, put your hook, I mean the 

 arming-wire, through his mouth, and out at his gills ; and 

 then with a fine needle and silk sew the upper part of his 

 leg, with only one stitch, to the arming-wire of your hook ; 

 or tie the frog's leg, above the upper joint, to the arming- 

 wire ; and, in so doing, use him as though you loved him, 

 that is, harm him as little as you may possibly, that he may 

 live the longer. 



And now, having given you this direction for the baiting 

 your ledger-hook with a live fish or frog, my next must be 

 to tell you how your hook thus baited must or may be 

 used, and it is thus : Having fastened your hook to a line, 

 which, if it be not fourteen yards long, should not be less 

 than twelve, you are to fasten that line to any bough near 





