452 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



back towards you, as if you were angling with a fly ; and 

 believe me, whoever will try it, shall find this the best way 

 of all other to angle with a worm, in a bright water espe- 

 cially ; but then his rod must be very light and pliant, and 

 very true and finely made, which, with a skilful hand, will 

 do wonders, and in a clear stream is undoubtedly the best 

 way of angling for a trout or grayling with a worm, by many 

 degrees, that any man can make choice of, and of most ease 

 and delight to the angler. To which let me add, that if 

 the angler be of a constitution that will suffer him to wade, 

 and will slip into the tail of a shallow stream, to the calf of 

 the leg or the knee, and so keep off the bank, he shall almost 

 take what fish he pleases. 



The second way of angling at the bottom is with a cork 

 or float ; and that is also of two sorts, with a worm, or 

 with a grub or caddis. 



With a worm, you are to have your line within a foot or 

 a foot and a half as long as your rod ; in a dark water, with 

 two, or if you will with three, but in a clear water, never 

 with above one hair next the hook, and two or three for 

 four or five lengths above it, and a worm of what size you 

 please ; your plumbs fitted to your cork, your cork to the 

 condition of the river, that is, to the swiftness or slowness 

 of it ; and both, when the water is very clear, as fine as you 

 can ; and then you are never to bait with above one of the 

 lesser sort of brandlings ; or, if they are very little ones 

 indeed, you may then bait with two, after the manner before 

 directed. 



When you angle for a trout, you are to do it as deep, that 

 is, as near the bottom, as you can, provided your bait do not 

 drag ; or if it do, a trout will sometimes take it in that 



