THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 107 



for three or four links next to the hook,) I say, not exceed 

 three or four hairs at the most, though you may fish a little 

 stronger above, in the upper part of your line ; but if you can 

 attain to angle with one hair, you shall have more rises, and 

 catch more fish. Now you must be sure not to cumber yourself 

 with too long a line, as most do. And before you begin to 

 angle, cast to have the wind on your back ; and the sun, if it 

 shines, to be before you ; and to fish down the stream ; * and 

 carry the point or top of your road downward, by which means 

 the shadow of yourself, and rod too, will be the least offensive 

 to the fish ; for the sight of any shade amazes the fish, and spoils 

 your sport, of which you must take a great care. 



In the middle of March, till which time a man should not in 

 honesty catch a Trout, or in April, if the weather be dark, or a 

 little windy or cloudy, the best fishing is with the Palmer- 

 worm, of which I last spoke to you ; but of these there be divers 

 kinds, or at least of divers colours : these and the May-fly are 

 the ground of all fly angling : which are to be thus made : 



First, you must arm f your hook with the line, in the inside 

 of it, then take your scissars, and cut so much of a brown 

 mallard's feather as, in your own reason, will make the wings 

 of it, you having withal regard to the bigness or littleness of 

 your hook ; then lay the outmost part of your feather next to 

 your hook, then the point of your feather next the shank of 

 your hook ; and, havirg so done, whip it three or four times 

 about the hook with the same silk with which your hook was 

 armed ; and having made the silk fast, take the hackle of a cock 

 or capon's neck, or a plover's top, which is usually better : take 

 off the one side of the feather, then take the hackle, silk or 

 crewel, gold or silver thread, make these fast at the bent of the 

 hook, that is to say, below your arming ; then you must take 

 the hackle, the silver or gold thread, and work it up to the 

 wings, shifting or still removing your finger as you turn the 

 silk about the hook, and still looking, at every stop or turn, 

 that your gold, or what materials soever you make your fly of, 

 do lie right and neatly, and if you find they do so, then when 

 you have made the head, make all fast : and then work your 

 hackle up to the head, and make that fast : and then, with a 

 needle, or pin, divide the wing into two, and then, with the 

 arming silk, whip it about cross-ways betwixt the wings, and 

 then with your thumb you must turn the point of the feathers 

 towards the bent of the hook, and then work three or four 



* This must he taken, to walk down the stream ; for it is quite impos- 

 sible to keep a fly above water, if drawn down the stream, as most of the 

 books absurdly direct. J. R. 



f To arm is an angling term, meaning to tie, or whip round. J. R. 



