304 THE COMPLETE ANGLEB. [PART I. 



as namely, hollow banks, or shelves, or roots of trees, to 

 keep them from danger; and, when they think fit, from 

 the extreme heat of summer; as also from the extremity of 

 cold in winter. And note, that if many trees be growing 

 about your pond, the leaves thereof falling into the water, 

 make it nauseous to the fish, and the fish to be so to the 

 eater of it. 



'Tis noted that the tench and eel love mud, and the carp 

 loves gravelly ground, and in the hot months to feed on 

 grass. You are to cleanse your pond, if you intend either 

 profit or pleasure, once every three or four years, especially 

 some ponds, and then let it lie dry six or twelve months, 

 both to kill the water-weeds, as water-lilies, candocks, l 

 reate, 2 and bull-rushes, that breed there : and also that as 

 these die for want of water, so grass may grow in the pond's 

 bottom, which carps will eat greedily in all the hot months 

 if the pond be clean. The letting your pond dry and 

 sowing oats in the bottom is also good, for the fish feed the 

 faster : and, being sometime let dry, you may observe what 

 kind of fish either increases or thrives best in that water ; 

 for they differ much both in their breeding and feeding. 



Lebault also advises, that if your ponds be not very large 

 and roomy, that you often feed your fish by throwing into 

 them chippings of bread, curds, grains, or the entrails of 

 chickens, or of any fowl or beast that you kill to feed your- 

 selves ; for these afford fish a great relief. He says that 

 frogs and ducks 3 do much harm, and devour both the spawn 

 and the young fry of all fish, especially of the carp : and 1 

 have, besides experience, many testimonies of it. But 

 Lebault allows water-frogs 4 to be good meat, especially in 

 some months, if they be fat : but you are to note, that he 

 is a Frenchman, and we English will hardly believe him, 

 though we know frogs are usually eaten in his country : 



1 A species of dog-grass growing in rivers. ED. 



2 The sedge or water-flag. ED. 



8 Ducks most certainly destroy much spawn, and therefore they should 

 be kept out of ponds in which fish are intended to breed freely. ED. 



4 Angling for frogs is a common French sport and profitable, for frogs 

 sell high in the market, a dish of frogs being very expensive. I never saw 

 the edible frog in Britain, though it is said to be native. Only the hind 

 quarters are used. RENNIE. 



