80 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PAR? I. 



Suppose it be a big lob-worm: put your hook into 

 him somewhat above the middle, and out again a little 

 below the middle : having so done, draw your worm above 

 the arming of your hook ; but note, that, at the entering 

 of your hook, it must not be at the head-end of the worm, 

 but at the tail-end of him, that the point of your hook 

 may come out toward the head-end ; and, having drawn 

 him above the arming of your hook, then put the point 

 of your hook again into the very head of the worm, till 

 it come near to the place where the point of the hook 

 first came out, and then draw back that part of the worm 

 that was above the shank or arming of your hook, and 

 so fish with it And if you mean to fish with two worms, 

 then put the second on before you turn back the hook's- 

 head of the first worm. You cannot lose above two or 

 three worms before you attain to what I direct you ; and 

 having attained it, you will find it very useful, and 

 thank me for it : for you will run on the ground without 

 tangling. 



Now for the Minnow or Penk : he is not easily found 

 and caught till March, or in April, for then he appears 

 first in the river ; nature having taught him to shelter and 

 hide himself, in the winter, in ditches that be near to the 

 river ; and there both to hide, and keep himself warm, in 

 the mud, or in the weeds, which rot not so soon as in a 

 running river, in which place if he were in Winter, the 

 distempered floods that are usually in that season would 

 suffer him to take no rest, but carry him headlong to 

 mills and weirs, to his confusion. And of these Minnows : 

 first, you are to know, that the biggest size is not the 

 best ; and next, that the middle size and the whitest are 

 the best ; and then you are to know, that your minnow 

 must be so put on your hook, that it must turn round 

 when 'tis drawn against the stream ; and. that it may 

 turn nimbly, you must put it on a big-sized hook, as I 



