BARKER'S DIRECTIONS FOR NIGHT-FISHING. 235 



feeling the fish bite, give time, there is no doubt of losing 

 the fish, for there is not one among twenty but doth 

 gorge the bait ; the least stroke you can strike fastens 

 the hook, and makes the fish sure : letting the fish take a 

 turn or two, you may take him up with your hands. 

 The night began to alter and grow somewhat lighter. I 

 took off the lobworms and set to my rod a white palmer- 

 fly made of a large hook : I had good sport for the time, 

 until it grew lighter ; so I took off the white palmer, 

 and set to a red palmer, made of a large hook. I had 

 good sport until it grew very light ; then I took off the 

 red palmer, and set to a black palmer. I had good sport, 

 and made up the dish of fish. So I put up my tackles, 

 and was with my lord at his time appointed for the 

 service. These three flies, with the help of the lob- 

 worms, serve to angle with all the year at night 

 observing the times as I have shown you in this night's 

 work ; the white fly for darkness, the red fly in mediis, 

 and the black fly for lightness. This is true experience 

 for angling in the night ; which is the surest angling of 

 all, and killeth the greatest trouts. Your lines may be 

 strong, but must not be longer than your rod." 



Although I have never personally tested these 

 directions so graphically described by this ancient 

 worthy, yet I have not the slightest doubt of their 

 efficiency in rivers or ponds containing large trout ; as 

 it is a well-ascertained fact, that all the larger predatory 

 fish (and what fish are not more or less predatory, as 

 well as fishers ?) feed principally during the night, it 

 has even been remarked that trout never take so well 

 after a dark night as after a moonlight one, on account 



