216 THE COMPLETE ANGLEB. [PART I. 



better and with more hope be fished for, you are to throw 

 into it, in some certain place, either grains, or blood mixed 

 with cow-dung or with bran ; or any garbage, as chicken's 

 guts or the like ; and then some of your small sweet pellets 

 with which you purpose to angle : and these small pellets 

 being a few of them also thrown in as you are angling, will 

 be the better. 



And your paste must be thus made : Take the flesh of a 

 rabbit or cat cut small, 1 and bean-flour: and if that may not 

 be easily got, get other flour, and then mix these together, 

 and put to them either sugar, or honey, which I think 

 better ; and then beat these together in a mortar, or some- 

 times work them in your hands, your hands being very 

 clean ; and then make it into a ball, or two, or three, as you 

 like best for your use ; but you must work or pound it so 

 long in the mortar, as to make it so tough as to hang upon 

 your hook without washing from it, yet not too hard : or 

 that you may the better keep it on your hook, you may 

 knead with your paste a little, and not much, white or 

 yellowish wool. 2 



And if you would have this paste keep all the year for any 

 other fish, then mix with it virgin- wax and clarified honey, 

 and work them together with your hands before the fire ; 

 then make these into balls, and they will keep all the year. 



And if you fish for a carp with gentles, then put upon 

 your hook, a small piece of scarlet about this bigness , 

 it being soaked in, or anointed with oil of peter, called by 

 some oil of the rock : and if your gentles be put two or 

 three days before, into a box or horn anointed with honey, 

 and so put upon your hook as to preserve them to be living, 

 you are as like to kill this crafty fish this way as any 

 other : but still as you are fishing, chew a little white or 

 brown bread in your mouth, and cast it into the pond about 

 the place where your float swims. Other baits there be ; 3 



1 Mix this in all pastes to prevent them washing off the hook. BROWNE. 



2 The sort of flesh does not seem to be of any importance ; though the 

 whiter it be perhaps the better, and therefore veal or pork is good. R. 



3 It is very difficult to catch carp, especially in large pieces of water, or 

 in a river, with either worms, gentles, or paste. The most effective method 

 of taking them is as follows, and one which I have never known to fail. 

 Select^ if you can, a gravelly bottom, in a pond ; bait the place, about six 



