CHAP. XXI. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 227 



and full of galls or unevenness. You shall seldom find 

 a black hair but it is round, but many white are flat and 

 uneven; therefore, if you get a lock of right, round, clear, 

 glass-colour hair make much of it. 



And for making your line, observe this rule: first, let 

 your hair be clean washed ere you go about to twist it ; 

 and then choose not only the clearest hair for it, but hairs 

 that be of an equal bigness, for such do usually stretch 

 all together, and break all together, which hairs of an un- 

 equal bigness never do, but break singly, and so deceive 

 the angler that trusts to them. 



When you have twisted your links, lay them in water 

 for a quarter of an hour at least, and then twist them 

 over again before you tie them into a line : for those that 

 do not so shall usually find their line to have a hair or 

 two shrink, and be shorter than the rest, at the first fish- 

 ing with it, which is so much of the strength of the line 

 lost for want of first watering it and then re-twisting it; and 



the bamboo-cane it excellent. Screws to rods are not only heavy, and apt to 

 I e out of repair, but they are absolutely unnecessary ; and the common way of 

 inserting one joint in another is sufficiently secure, if the work be true. 



Our forefathers were wont to pursue even their amusements with great for* 

 mality. An Angler of the last age must have his Jlthing -coat, which, if not 

 black, was at least of a very dark colour; a black velvet cap, like those which 

 jockies now wear, only larger ; and a rod with a stock as long as a halbert : 

 and thus equipped, would he stalk forth with the eyes of a whole neighbour- 

 hood upon him. 



But in these later days, bag-rods have been invented, which the angler nay 

 easily conceal, and do not proclaim to all the world where be is going. Those 

 for float-fishing are now become common ; bat this invention has lately been ex- 

 tended to rods for fly-fishing ; and here follows a description of such a neat, 

 portable, and 'useful one, as no angler that has once tried it will ever be with, 

 out. 



Let the joints be four in number, and made of hiccory, or some such very 

 tough wood, and two feet four inches in length, the largest joint not exceed- 

 ing half an inch in thickness. The top must be bamboo shaved. And for the 

 stock, let it be of ash, full in the grasp, of an equal length with the other joints; 

 and with a strong ferule at the smaller endjf made to receive the large joint, 

 which must be well shouldered and fitted to it with the utmost exactness. 



This rod will go into a bag, and lie very well concealed in a pocket in the 

 lining of your coat, on the left side, made straight on purpose to receive it. 



Q2 



