425 
FISHING. 
coming from the fait water, they run a confiderable way 
up the rivers; numbers of them that are not taken, lofe 
themfelyes, and, not finding their way back again, con¬ 
tinue Jmd breed in the rivers; and thefe grow to be the 
largeft. They will likewife live and breed in ponds, if 
taken and put in with care. Angle for them with a (hong 
line, three, four, or five, hairs at the bottom, or a very 
ffrong gut, and not with a tingle-hair- line ; for in fome 
rivers they are very large, and when hooked ftruggle 
much, and alford great lport.—The common bait is the 
maggot of the fleth-fly, or worms well fcoured. Two or 
three rods may be ufed with advantage when you fifh 
purpofely for them, laying the rods in fuch order as will 
enable you eafily to difcern when they bite, by the mo¬ 
tion of the line or top of the rod. The heft places to 
angle for them is, by the fides of deep (Jreams, and at 
mill-tails, where the bottom confifls of gravel, fine fand, 
or loam ; or in deep (till places of the fame quality near 
the banks ; and by throwing in a ground.bait of clay and 
broken worms, you may take great numbers when the 
water is thickened by a frefit or tide. 
The Eel. —Though this is a fifii of paffage, it is never- 
thelefs to be found in almoftall waters that have any com¬ 
munication with the fea ; and even in all brooks and water- 
courfes; they pervade the pipes which convey the water 
to the houfes in London, and are often taken in the fire¬ 
plugs, where they ftick from their great fize in endea¬ 
vouring to efcape through thofe tubes, when the water 
is let out to cleanfe the ilreets, or fupply the fire-engines. 
The eels begin to run up the rivers in April, if the wea¬ 
ther be w'arm ; and fuch of them as can will return to 
the fait water foon in the autumn following, where they 
bring forth their young, which are thofe fmall eels, or 
elvers, that run up the rivers near the furface of the 
water in fuch furprifing quantities when the weather be¬ 
comes warm. The eel haunts chiefly among weeds, un¬ 
der (lumps of trees, roots, and fiones, in holes in the 
banks, in muddy bottoms, and about bridges, weirs, and 
mills ; where they moflly keep in the day-time, with only 
their heads out watching for prey, except when the wa¬ 
ter is rendered thick by rains or othenvife ; for then they 
come out boldly, and bite eagerly. They are bed in 
feafon in May, June, and July. Angle for them on the 
ground, with two, three, or more, rods, ufing the fame 
ground-bait as for the barbel ; but letting your hook- 
baits be well-fcoured worms, fmall minnows, loaches, 
bull-heads, and walp-maggots, which are the bed baits 
for them. Eels, however, take the bait bed in the night, 
when the weather is warm and the night dark ; then, if’ 
you are fo difpofed, fifii upon the (hallows where there 
is a current, or by the fide or tail of a dream with a fandy 
gravelly bottom, letting the bait be on the ground. 
They may alfo be taken by night-lines, with the fame baits. 
The Trout. —This affords the utmofi fcope to the 
dexterity and ingenuity of the angler—is the prime objedt 
of artificial fly-fifhing, and is more generally efteemed 
than any other frefli-water fifh. Trouts begin to fpawn 
in Odtober in fome rivers, and in others in November. 
Towards the latter end of September they leave the deep 
water to which they had retired during the latter part of 
the hot feafon, and make their way up the rivers, feeding 
out proper places for the purpofe of (pawning. They al¬ 
ways fix upon fome gravelly bottom, or where gravel and 
fand are mixed among (tones, towards the tail and (ides 
of a dream, and in lakes, &c. whofe bottoms are gravel 
among weeds, where they make themfelves beds, and 
therein depofit their fpawn ; at which time they become 
black about the head and body, and the fleflt is difagree- 
a’oly foft and unwholefome. It is remarkable that they 
are never good when big with roe, which is contrary to 
the nature of.mod other fifh. After they have (pawned, 
they become lean and feeble; their bodies feern wafted ; 
and thofe beautiful fpots which before emulated the ruby, 
are no longer perceptible ; their heads appear fwelled, 
and their eyes dull. In this date they retire to the deep 
VoL.VdI. No. 438. 
dill parts of the water, and continue there fick and un¬ 
clean all the winter, breeding a kind of worm which keeps 
them poor, till the feafon comes on to refrefli and reflore 
them to their former vigour. There are to be found in 
all trout-dreams fome female trouts that are barren, and 
thefe continue good all the winter. 
In February, or as foon as the weather becomes a little 
warm and open, the trouts begin to leave their winter 
quarters in the deeps, and approach the (hallows and tails 
of dreams, where they fcour, cleanfe, and redore them¬ 
felves to health, which prepares them for the fummer’s 
diverfion. As they acquire drength, they advance dill 
higher up the rivers, till they fix upon their fummer’s 
habitation ; for which they generally choofe rocky, fiony, 
and gravelly, bottoms; whirlpools, and holes into which 
fwift dreams, fliarps, and diallovvs, fall ; under hollow- 
banks, roots of trees, boughs, and bullies, and in places 
that are (haded ; behind great (tones and banks, that (land 
above or jet out into the water, or where there is an eddy 
or whirling-back of a dream ; and in fmall rivers they 
frequently lie under fudges and weeds, efpecially in the 
beginning of the year, before they recover their perfect 
drength ; but when they are in their prime, they frequent 
the fwifted dreams, feeding in the fides and deeped parts 
of them, and are often found at the upper end of mill- 
pools, at locks, flood-gates, and weirs. They alfo take 
their dations under bridges, or between two dreams that 
run from under the arches of bridges, and in fhe returns 
of dreams, where the water feeins to boil and twirl about 
in deep vortices; but at the decline of dimmer they again 
lie at the tails of dreams, and in the deep water. Trouts 
may be faid to be in feafon from the middle of February 
to Michaelmas, though fome are tolerably good even to 
the middle of October ; but they are fatted and bed from 
about the middle of July to the middle of September, 
becaufe then they feed moflly upon young fry, from the 
fpawn of many different forts of fifh, and a multitude of 
infedts, which makes them firm and fine-flavoured. Some, 
however, contend, that their prime feafon is May, becaufe 
in that month and June they glut themfelves with fuch 
quantities of the ephemera or May-fly ; but, like all other 
animals, they certainly become higher flavoured, and in 
finer condition, in proportion as their food is rich and 
nutritive. 
The rod for trout-fifliing (liould be about fourteen feet 
in length ; the bottom part made of well-feafoned afli or 
hazle, large enough towards the but-end for the reel to 
faflen on properly; the middle part, feafoned yew or 
hickary; the top of the fame, well fpliced, with about 
half a foot of good round whalebone to fit nicely, pro¬ 
perly tapered to the end, and ringed neatly, as before ob¬ 
served of the falmon-rod ; and when put together it mud 
be very regularly taper from the bottom to the top, with 
a good fpring, and pliable almoft to the little finger, for 
fly-fifhing ; but you fltould have another top, much differ, 
to put on for minnow and worm fifliing. The but-end of 
the rpd fltould be bored fo as to be adapted to hold either 
top, with a ferew or cap at the end to keep it from drop¬ 
ping out. For fly-fiflting'only, the rod fltould be but of 
two parts, without ferrils, and the lower part longer than 
the upper part, with the fmall end of the former and tl^e 
large end of the latter cut nicely to fit. In February, if 
the weather be open and mild, trouts will begin to take 
a well-fcoured earth-worm, a longifh white one found in 
the foil of turnip-fields, &c. and if the water be clear, 
and the day fine, you may have fport with the fly ; but 
the prime months for them are, March, April, and May. 
In March and April angle for them with tire worm in the 
forenoon, and with a fly or minnow the red of the day, 
according to the (late of the water ; in the fwifted dreams 
and dronged parts of the river, provided the day be warm 
and bright, and in the deeps morning and evening, early 
and late ; but if the water be much coloured, or very 
thick, angle in the (hallows, where it is gravelly, near 
to the fides and tails of dreams, with a worm only, to run 
J ' on 
