740 
FISHING. 
Au Epitome of the whole Art of Fishing, wherein are shown at one view, the Harbours, Seasons, and Depths, for catching all sorts 
of Fish usually angled for; also the various Baits for each, so digested at to contain the Essence of all the Treatises ever written ou- 
tlie subject, exempt from the superfluities, which tend more to perplex than instruct. 
Names. 
Where found. 
Season. 
Time to angle. 
Depth from ground. 
Proper Baits. 
Flies. 
Pastes. 
Worms. 
Fish and 
No. 
No. 
No. 
Insects. 
Bream 
rough str. river or mid. pond 
April to Mich. 
sun-rise to 9 
3 to sun-set 
touch ground 
1 3 
1 to 7 
No. 8. 
Barbel 
gravel-banks in currents under 
April to Aug. 
very early or 
ditto 
2 
2 6 7 
Bleak - 
bridges 
late 
sandy bottom, deep rivers, 
May to Oct. 
all day 
6 inches from bottom 
1 2 
2 
2 3 8 
1 3 4 
Carp 
ships’ sterns 
still deep mud-bottom, pond 
3 inches from bottom 
1 2 3 4 7 
May to Aug. 
sun-rise to 9 
or river 
3 to sun-set 
hot weather, mid-water 
Chub or 
Chevin 
Dace 
ditto 
sandy bottom, deep rivers, 
May to Dec. 
May to Oct. 
ditto 
all day 
ditto 
6 to 1 2 inches from bottom 
1 to 5 
ditto. 
£> 
3i .4 
12 4 5 
1 to 5 & 8 
7 8 
ships’ sterns 
Gudgeon 
gravel shoals 
May to Oct. 
ditto 
near, or on ground 
ditto 
9 8 
wh. stro. 
1 2 3 4, 
Pike 
near clay-banks, 
ail the year 
ditto 
mid-water 
line float 
and snap 
hook fixt 
on shore 
5 6 7 
Perch - ^ 
river in stream A gravel 
May to Aug. 
S.-rise to 10 
ditto 
> or weedy 
2 to sun-set 
t 2 
1 
3 5 7 8 
1 6 
Pope 
pond deepest part j bottom 
Aug. to May 
mid-day 
6 indies from bottom 
3 
deep holes in rivers 
May to Oct. 
all day 
ditto 
,5 
all 
Roach 
sandy bottom, deep rivers, 
May to Oct. 
ditto 
6 to 12 inches 
1 2 4 5 
3 4 
ditto 
8 
ships’ sterns 
mid-way to the bottom 
Salmon - 
deep rivers 
Mar. to Sept. 
8 to 9, S' to 6 
all large 
1 5 6 7 
1 
Smelts 
ships’ sterns and docks 
Apr. to Oct. 
all day 
mid-way to the bottom 
all small 
1 2 5 
bits of 
variable 
smelts 
Trout 
purling stream, and eddies of 
Mar. to Mich. 
ditto 
cold weather, 6 inches to 9 
1 to 5 
1 2 5 to 8 
1 8 
stony-bottom river 
hot weath. top to mid-wat. 
Tench 
mud-bottom, river or pond 
all the year 
sun-rise to 9 
3 to sun-set 
cold wea. 3 inch, from hot. 
hot weather, mid-water 
1^4 
1 3 4 to 7 
Umber or 7 
Grayling £ 
clay-bottom, swift stream 
all the year 
all day 4 
■ 1 
cold weather, 6 to 9 inch, 
(lot weath. top to mid-wat. 
} 1 to 5 
all 
1 8 
Description of proper baits for the several 
sorts of fish referred to in the foregoing 
table. — Flies. 1. Stone-fly, found under hol- 
low stones at the side- of rivers, is of a brown 
colour, with yellow streaks on the back and 
belly, has large wings, and is in season from 
April to July. 2. Green drake, found among 
stones by river-sides, has a yellow body 
ribbed with green, is long and slender, with 
■wings like a butterfly, his tail turns on his 
back, and from May to midsummer is very 
useful. 3. Oak-fly found in the body of an 
old oak, or ash, with its head downwards, is 
of a brown colour, and excellent from May 
to September. 4. Palmer-fly or worm, ra- 
ther a hairy caterpillar, found on leaves of 
plants, and when it comes to a fly is excel- 
lent for trout. 5. Ant-fly, found in ant-hills 
from June to September. G. The May-fly 
is to be found playing by the river-side, es- 
pecially against rain. See Ephemera. 7. 
The black-fly is to be found upon every haw- 
thorn after the buds are fallen off. 
Almost the only sport in fishing that may 
be called so, is fly-fishing. The fly is either 
natural or artificial. 
1. Natural flies are innumerable. The 
most usual for this purpose are mentioned in 
the above lines. There are two ways to 
fish with natural flies ; either on the sur- 
face of the water, or a little underneath it. In 
angling for chevin, roach, or dace, move not 
your natural fly swiftly, when, you see the 
fish make at it ; but rather let it, glide freely 
towards him with the stream : but if it be 
in a still or slow water, draw the fly slowly 
sideway s by him, which will make him eagerly 
pursue it. ’ 
2. The artificial fly is best used when the 
waters are so troubled by the winds, that the 
natural fly cannot be seen nor rest upon 
them. Of artificial flies there are reckoned 
no less than 12 sorts, of which the following 
are the principal. 1. For March, the dun- 
fly, made of dun-wool, and tire feathers of 
the partridge’s wing, or the body made of 
black wool, and the feathers of a black drake. 
2. For April, the stone-fly, the body made 
of black wool, with a little yellow under the 
wings and tail. 3. For the beginning, of May, 
the ruddy fly, made of red wool,, and bound 
about with black silk, with the feathers of a 
black capon hanging dangling on his sides 
next his tail. 4. For June, the greenish fly, 
the body made of black wool,, with a yellow 
list on either side, the wings taken off the 
wings of the buzzard, bound with black 
broken hemp, 5. The moorish fly, the body 
made of duskish wool, and the wings made 
of the blackish mail of a drake. 6. The 
tawny fly, good till the middle of June, the 
body made of tawny wool, the wings made 
contrary one against the other, of the whit- 
ish mail of a white drake. 7. For July, the 
wasp-fly, the body made of black wool,, cast 
about with yellow silk,, and the wings of 
drakes’ feathers. 8. The steel-fly, good in 
the middle of July,, the body made with 
.greenish. wool, cast about. with, the feathers 
of a peacock’s tail, and the wings made of 
those of the buzzard. 9. For August, the 
drake-fly, the body made with black wool 
cast about with black silk, his wings of the 
mail of a black drake w ith a black h^ad. The 
May-fly is also excellently i nutated by the 
tackle -makers. 
The best rules for artificial fly-fishing are, 
. 1 . To fish in a river .somewhat disturbed with 
rain: or in a cloudy day, when the waters 
are moved by a gentle breeze ; the south 
wind is bed ; and if the wind blows high,, 
yet not so but that you may conveniently 
guard your tackle, the fish will rise in plain, 
deeps : but if the wind is small, the best ang- 
ling is in swift streams. 2. Keep as far from, 
the water-side as may be; fish down the 
stream with the sun at your back, and do not 
disturb the water with your line. 3. Ever 
angle in clear rivers with a small ily and. 
slender wings ; but in muddy places use a 
larger. 4. When after rain the water be- 
comes brownish, use an orange fly ; in a 
clear day, a light-coloured fly ; a dark fly 
for dark waters, &c. 5. Let the line be at 
least twice as tong as the rod, unless the 
river is encumbered with trees.. 6. For 
every sort of fly, have several of the same, 
differing in colour, to suit with the different 
complexions of several waters and weathers. 
7. Have a nimble eye and active hand, to 
strike presently, with the rising of the fish, or 
else he will be apt to throw out the hook. 
8. Let the fly fall first into the water, and 
not the line, which will scare the fish. 9. 
In slow' rivers, or still places, cast the fly 
across the river, and. let it sink a little in the 
water, and draw, it gently back with the 
current. Salmon-flies should be made with 
their wing's standing one behind the other, 
whether two or four. This fish delights in 
the gaudiest colours that can he ; chiefly in. 
the wings, which must be long, as well as 
the tail. The best wing is the hackle of the 
golden pheasant. 
2 
