CHAP. VIII.] THE FOUTB1I DAT. 199 



accidents, which may drive it to the shore-side ; for you are 

 to note, that it is likeliest to catch a pike in the midst of the 

 water, then hang a small plummet of lead, a stone, or piece 

 of tile, or a turf, in a string, and cast it into the water, with 

 the forked stick, to hang upon the ground, to be a kind of 

 anchor to keep the forked stick from moving out of your 

 intended place till the pike come. This I take to be a very 

 good way to use so many ledger-baits as you intend to 

 make trial of. 



Or if you bait your hooks thus with live fish or frogs, and 

 in a windy day, fasten them thus to a bough or bundle of 

 straw, and by the help of that wind can get them to move 

 across a pond or mere, you are like to stand still on the 

 shore and see sport presently if there be any store of pikes : 

 or these live-baits may make sport, being tied about the 

 body or wings of a goose or duck, and she chased over a 

 pond. 1 And the like may be done with turning three or 

 four live-baits, thus fastened to bladders, or boughs, or 

 bottles 2 of hay or flags, to swim down a river, whilst you 

 walk quietly alone on the shore, and are still in expectation 

 of sport. The rest must be taught you by practice, for 

 time will not allow me to say more of this kind of fishing 

 with live-baits. 



And for your dead-bait for a pike, for that you may be 



1 A rod twelve feet long and a ring of wire, 

 A winder and ban-el, will help thy desire 

 In killing a Pike : but the forked stick, 

 With a slit and a bladder, and that other fine trick, 

 Which our artists call snap, with a goose or a duck, 

 Will kill two for one, if you have any luck ; 

 The gentry of Shropshire do merrily smile, 

 To see a goose and a belt the fish to beguile. 

 When a Pike suns himself, and a-frogging doth go, 

 The two-inched hook is better, I know, 

 Than the ord'uary snaring. But still I must cry, 

 "When the Pike is at home, mind the cookery." 



Barker's "Art of Angling ." 



" Bottle, Fr. Bottc, a truss or bundle ; in both of which senses it is 

 used by our elder writers in the latter by Walton. "Methinks," 

 quoth Bottom, " I have a great desire to a bottle of hay. Mids. Night's 

 Dream, a. iv., s. 1. And thus, the Dean of St. Paul's : 



' ' But I should wither in one day, and pass 

 To a lock of hay, that am a bottle of grass. DONNE. 



