156 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



fishing, but it is far fitter for experience and discourse 

 than paper. Only, thus much is necessary for you to 

 know, and to be mindful and careful of, that if the Pike 

 or Pearch do breed in that river, they will be sure to bite 

 first, and must first be taken. And for the most part 

 they are very large ; and will repair to your ground-bait, 

 not that they will eat of it, but will feed and sport them- 

 selves among the young fry that gather about and hover 

 over the bait. 



The way to discern the Pike and to take him, if you 

 mistrust your Bream hook ; for I have taken a Pike a yard 

 long several times at my Bream hooks, and sometimes 

 he hath had the luck to share my line; may be thus : 



Take a small Bleak, or Roach, or Gudgeon, and bait 

 [with] it ; and set it, alive, among your rods, two feet 

 deep from the cork, with a little red worm on the point 

 of the hook : then take a few crumbs of white bread, or 

 some of the ground-bait, and sprinkle it gentle amongst 

 your rods. If Mr. Pike be there, then the little fish will 

 skip out of the water at his appearance, but the live-set 

 bait is sure to be taken. 



Thus continue your sport from four in the morning till 

 eight, and if it be a gloomy windy day, they will bite all 

 day long : but this is too long to stand to your rods, at 

 one place; and it will spoil your evening sport that day, 

 which is this. 



About four of the clock in the afternoon repair to your 

 baited place ; and as soon as you come to the water-side, 

 cast in one-half of the rest of your ground-bait, and stand 

 off; then whilst the fish are gathering together, (for 

 there they will most certainly come for their supper,) you 

 may take a pipe of tobacco: and then, in with your three 

 rods, as in the morning. You will find excellent sport 

 that evening, till eight of the clock: then cast in the 

 residue of your ground-bait, and next morning, by four 



