116 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



that many have been caught out of their famous river of 

 Loire, out of whose bellies grains of gold have been often 

 taken. And some think that he feeds on water-thyme, 

 and smells of it at his first taking out of the water; and 

 they may think so with as good reason as we do that 

 our Smelts smell like violets at their first being caught, 

 which I think is a truth. Aldrovandus says, the Salmon, 

 the Grayling, and Trout, and all fish that live in clear 

 and sharp streams, are made by their mother nature of 

 such exact shape and pleasant colours purposely to in- 

 vite us to a joy and contentedness in feasting with her. 

 Whether this is a truth or not, it is not my purpose to 

 dispute: but 'tis certain, all that write of the Umber 

 declare him to be very medicinable. And Gesner says, 

 that the fat of an Umber or Grayling, being set, with a 

 little honey, a day or two in the sun, in a little glass, 

 is very excellent against redness, or swarthiness, or any 

 thing that breeds in the eyes. Salvian ' takes him to 

 be called Umber from his swift swimming, or gliding 

 out of sight more like a shadow or a ghost than a fish. 

 Much more might be said both of his smell and taste: 

 hut I shall only tell you, that St. Ambrose, the glorious 

 bishop of Milan, who lived when the church kept fasting- 

 days, calls liim the flower-fish, or flower of fishes ; and 

 that he was so far in love with him, that he would not 

 let him pass without the honour of a long discourse; but 

 I must; and pass on to tell you how to take this dainty 

 fish. 



First note, that he grows not to the bigness of a 

 Trout; for the biggest of them do not usually exceed 

 eighteen inches. He lives in such rivers as the Trout 

 does ; and is usually taken with the same baits as the 



(1) HippolUo Salviani, an Italian physician of the sixteenth century : he 

 wrote a treatise Dt Pitcibut, cum corum figtiri$, and died at Rome, 1572 , 



