92 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I* 



gentleman that hath spent much time in fishing: but I 

 shall do it with a little variation. 



First, let your rod be light, and very gentle: I take 



laden at his leisure." " A man that goeth to the river for his pleasure, 



must understand, when he comet li there, to set forth hit tackle. The first 

 thing he must do, is to observe the vind and sun for DAY, the moon, the 

 ttan, and the wanes of the air for Night, to set forth his tackles for day or 



night; and accordingly to go for his pleasure, and some profit." " Now 



I am determined to angle with ground-bails, and set my tackles to my rod, and 

 go to my pleasure. I begin at the uppermost part of the stream, carrying my 

 line with an upright band, feeling my plummet running truly on the ground 

 some leu inches from the hook, plumming my Hue according to the swiftness 

 of the stream I angle in; for one plummet will not serve for all streams; for 



the true angling is, that the plummet run truly on the ground." 



* My Lord sent to me, at suo-goiug-down, to provide him a good 

 dish of Trouts against the next morning, by six o'clock. 1 went to the door 

 to et How the vanes of the air vcre like to prove. I returned answer, that I 

 doubted not, Ood willing, but to be provided at the time appoint, d. I went 

 presently to the river, and it proved very dark : I threw out a line of three 

 ilk* and three bain twisted, for the uppermost part; and a line of two hairs 

 and two silks twisted, for the lower part with a good large hook. I baited my 

 book with two loUwortni, the four ends hanging as meet as I could guess them 

 in the dark. I fell to angle. It proved very dark, so that I had good sport ; 

 angling with the lob-worms as 1 do with the flies, on the top of the water : 

 Ton shall hear the fish rise at the top of the water ; then, you must loose a 

 alack line down to the bottom, as nigh as you can guess ; then hold your line 

 straight, feeling the fish bite ; give time, there is no doubt of losing the fish, 

 for there is not one amongst twenty but doth gorge the bait : the least stroke 

 you can strike fastens the hook, and makes the fish sure, letting the fish take 

 a turn or two ; yon may take him up with your hands. The night began to 

 alter and grow somewhat lighter ; I took off the lobworms, and set to my rod 

 white palmer fly made of a large hook ; I had good sport for the time, until 

 it grew lighter; so I took off the white palmer, and set to a red palmer, made 

 of a large hook : I had good sport until it grew very light ; then I took off the 

 red palmer, and set to a black palmer ; I had good sport, and made up the 

 dish of fish. So I pat up my tackles, and was with my lord at his time appointed 

 for the service. 



" These three flies, with the help of the lob-worms, serve to angle all the 

 year for the night; observing the times a* I have shewed you in this night- 

 work ; the white fly for darkness, the red fly in media, and the blark fly for 

 lightness. This is the true experience for angling in the niaht ; which is the 

 surest angling of all, and killeth the greatest Trouts. Your lines may be 

 strong, but must not be longer than your rod. 



" Now, having taken a good dish of Trouts, I presented them to my lord. 

 He having provided good company, commanded me to turn cook, and dress 

 them for dinner 



" There comes an honest gentleman, a familiar friend, to me he was 

 an angler begins to compliment with me, and asked me how I did ? when I had 

 been angling? and demanded, in discourse, what was the reason I did not 

 relate in my book the dressing of his dish offish, which he loved ? I pray you, 

 Sir, what dish of Trout* was that ? He said, it was a dish of close-boiled 

 Trouts. battered with eggs. My answer was to him, that every scullion 

 drtneth that duJ against his will, because he cannot calvor them. I will 

 tell you, in short : Put your Trouts into the kettle when the kettle is set to the 



