220 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



hay or flags, to swim down a river, whilst you walk quietly 

 alone on the shore, and are still in expectation of sport. 

 The rest must be taught you by practice, for time will not 

 allow me to say more of this kind of fishing with live baits. 



And for your dead bait for a pike, for that you may be 

 taught by one day's going a-fishing with me, or any other 

 body that fishes for him, for the baiting your hook with a 

 dead gudgeon or a roach, and moving it up and down the 

 water, is too easy a thing to take up any time to direct you 

 to do it ; and yet, because I cut you short in that, I will 

 commute for it by telling you that that was told me for a 

 secret : it is this : 



Dissolve gum of ivy in oil of spike, and therewith anoint 

 your dead bait for a pike, and then cast it into a likely 

 place, and when it has lain a short time at the bottom, 

 draw it towards the top of the water, and so up the stream, 

 and it is more than likely that you have a pike follow with 

 more than common eagerness. 



And some affirm, that any bait anointed with the marrow 

 of the thigh-bone of an hern is a great temptation to any 

 fish. 



These have not been tried by me, but told me by a friend 

 of note, that pretended to do me a courtesy; but if this 

 direction to catch a pike thus do you no good, yet I am 

 certain this direction how to roast him when he is caught 

 is choicely good, for I have tried it, and it is somewhat the 

 better for not being common ; but with my direction you 

 must take this caution, that your pike must not be a small 

 one, that is, it must be more than half a yard, and should 

 be bigger. 



First, open your pike at the gills, and, if need be, cut also 



