of fishing. 29 



shall see in his place : which hole in the borde on the nether part, ye shall set three 

 or foure prickes of ozar to holde any thing that comes out or in. This practise may 

 easely be made. 



To lay poysoned baites, as pe'eces of che'ese, flesh or such, and to straw the 

 powder of Orsenike thereon, to be layde in efts, where other things come not. I 

 knowe not what good it will doe, for whereas ye touch anything with your bare 

 hande, they will not lightly come at it. Thus much for taking the water Rattes 

 or Otter. 



To preseriie spawne in spawtmig time. 



A chiefe way to saue spawne of fish, in March, Aprill, and May, is thus, ye shall 

 make fagots of wheate, or rie strawe, all whole strawe not bruised, or of reede, 

 binde these faggots together with thr^e bondes, and all about thereon sticke of 

 young branches of willowe. Then cast them in the water among wdedes, or by the 

 bankes, and put in each faggot two good long stakes, driuen fast to the ground, and 

 let your fagots lie couered in the water halfe a yeard or more. So the fish will come 

 and shed their spawne thereon, and then it will quicken therein, so that no other 

 fish can come to destroy or eate it, and as they waxe quicke they will come forth 

 and saue themselues. Thus much for the preseruing of spawne in the spring and 

 spawning time : this is a good practise to preserue the spawne of all scaled fish. 

 These fagots ye may make and lay in all riuers, poundes, or standing waters. Your 

 fagots had ne'ede to be a yeard and a halfe long, and bound with thre'e bandes not 

 hard, two bandes a foote from the endes, and an other band in the middest, and 

 lay them as I haue afore declared. Also some doe vse to hedge in corners in riuers 

 and pondes ^vith willow, and thereon fish doe cast their spawne and so bre'edes. 



