160 THE COMPLETE ANCLF.K. PART I, 



CHAP. XII. 

 on the PEARCH, and Direction* howtofithfor him. 



Piscator. THE Pearch is a very good and a very bold- 

 hitin fish. He is one of the fishes of prey that, like the 

 Pike and Trout, carries his teeth in his mouth, which is 

 Tery large: and he dare venture to kill and devour seve- 

 ral other kinds of fish. He has a hooked or hog back, 

 which is armed with sharp and stiti l.nstles, and all his 

 skin armed, or covered over with thick dry hard scales, 

 and hath, which few other fish have, two fins on his back. 

 He is so bold that he will invade one of his own kind, 

 which the Pike will not do willingly; and you may there- 

 fore easily believe him to be a bold bit( r. 



The Pearch is of great esteem in Italy, saith Aldrovan- 

 dus : and especially the least are there esteemed a dainty 

 dish. And Gesner prefers the Pearch anl I 'ike above 

 the Trout, or any fresh-water fish : he says the Germans 

 have this proverb, " More wholesome than a Pearch of 

 Rhine :" and he says the River-Pearch is so wholesome, 

 that physicians allow him to be eaten by wounded men, 

 or by men in fevers, or by women in child-bed. 



He spawns but once a year; and is, by physicians, 

 held very nutritive; yet, by many, to be hardofdigs- 

 tion. They abound more in the river Po, and in England, 



wefftwint of September to the end of May. They will bite all the hot months ; 

 bt are ukea best io April and May. 



There are no better bans for this fish than a middle-died lob-worm, or red. 

 worm, well scoured ; a gentle; a young wasp grub, boiled; or a green worm 

 book from the boughs of trees. 



Use a strong grass, or got ; and a goose- quill float without a cork, except in 

 rivers ww*re the cork is always to be preferred. 



FMi wry near the froood. Aod if you bait with gentles, throw io a few 

 at the taking erery fish, which will draw them to your hook, and keep them 



