78 THE DRIFFIELD ANGLER. 



better than the female : their principal sea- 

 son is August and September ; their size 

 from one and a half to two feet long ; the 

 sort that are usually met with are from two 

 to six or eight pounds weight. This fish is 

 bred in most rivers ; in the summer he 

 haunts the swiftest and shallowest streams, 

 where he lurks under the weeds, and works 

 and roots with his nose in the sand like a 

 hog : in autumn he retires to bridges, flood- 

 gates, locks, and weirs, or the midst of 

 streams, where the waters are swift and 

 deep ; he never feeds off the ground, and 

 takes any sort of worm, bits of bacon, or 

 old cheese if it be kept in a linen bag, dipped 

 in honey, two or three days to make it tough ; 

 the greaves that are to be had at the tallow- 

 chandler's, for a ground-bait over night, are 

 very good; yet most commonly the same 

 worm is used that is baited with. They are 

 a very subtle strong fish, struggle hard far 

 their lives, and will often pick off your baits : 

 bis time of biting i early in the morning till 

 nine or ten o'clock, and from four in the 



