20 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 



Your top for the running line must be always 

 gentle, that the fish may the more insensibly run 

 away with the bait, and not be checked by its 

 being too stiff. 



For all fishes that bite tenderly, a rod made of 

 cane, reed, or bamboo, is the best, only be care- 

 ful when you chuse such a one, that it will strike 

 well, and that the medium between the ferrule and 

 the joint that goes in is not cut too fine ; for if it 

 is, when you strike a good fish, it is ten to one 

 you will lose some part of your rod, your line, and 

 of course the fish , a misfortune that has often 

 happened to me, before I was acquainted with 

 the above rule. 



A general rod is one which serves for trolling, 

 dibbing, and the ground : for the former purpose 

 small brass rings must be whipped all the way up 

 it, at about a foot distance, for the troll ing-line to 

 run thiough ; it may likewise be bored in the 

 stock to hold the tops you are not using. That 

 which you use for the troll must be strong, and 

 have a ring on the top whipped on with apiece of 

 quill to prevent the line being cut, when the vo- 

 racious pike runs off with your bait to his hold ; 

 one of the others must not be so stiff, which will 

 serve for carps, tenches, &c. ; and the other fine 

 and elastic lor dace and roach fishing. These 

 kind of rods, which are called bag-rods, and go 

 up in a small compass, are to be had at all the 

 fishing-tackle shops in London, more particularly 

 in Crooked-lane, near the Monument ; Fleet- 

 street ; Bell-yard ; also an excellent shop facing 

 Southampton-street, Strand. 



Angling' Line. To make this line, first note, 

 that you are to take care that your hair be round 

 and clear, and free from galls, scales, or frets ; 



