am
 
 THE B1UT1SH 
 
 THE FORTUNATE 
 
 OR, DISAPPOINTED AVARICE. 
 
 A Fable. 
 
 rod in hand one day poor DtflU'S stood 
 tjpoii the margin of a briny flood 5 
 His line long time he vfateh'd w?th anxious eyes 
 lu liopcs to carry home th rrish'd supplies. 
 His hungry offspring chide -bis tedious stay, " 
 Whose foikl was but the_produce of each ilay. 
 Fortune seeih'd eriael to his earnest wish, 
 For Ion? he'd stay'd, hut had not caught u fish. 
 Nay, fortune sefiin'd to shew nnconiinun spite, 
 All 'In;,' he fiah'd* bitt not u fish would bite. 
 
 Tir'd atui r:iag?I:;'<l. an;! ready to resign, 
 lle.fbatiij a weight pull down his trcinhlins: line: 
 He dre'V Jt towards the shore with cautious hand, 
 And iix'd his eye, in hop-.* to see it land. 
 'Twa jioi a F*laicc nor Herring-, Trout not Sprat, 
 Twas hot a Salmotl, iirtr -you'll scarce jjuess what. 
 \Vhate t-r it wsw, with force it seem'd to pull, 
 >r i>as iWu^ht to land, and prov'd a human skull. 
 , 3>o{u:!5 at first; astonish' (I at the sight, 
 Stood gazing. with the looks of wild affright. 
 l>nt when recovered, be began to think 
 Which would be best to leave it on the v
 
 BESTS 
 
 CONCISE TREATISE 
 
 OV THS 
 
 ART OF ANGLING.
 
 FKO^TISPIECE.
 
 THE EIGHTH EDITION. 
 
 A 
 CONCISE TREATISE 
 
 Confirmed by actuctl Experience ; 
 
 INTERSPERSED WITH 
 
 SEVERAL NEW AND RECENT DISCOVERIES; 
 
 THE WHOLE FORMING 
 
 A COMPLETE MUSEUM, 
 
 FOR THE 
 LOVERS OF THAT PLEASING AND RATIONAL 
 
 RECREATION. 
 
 BY THOMAS BEST, 
 
 A new Edition, carefully corrected. 
 
 As in successive course the seasons roll, 
 
 So circling plr.asures recreate the soul : 
 
 When genial spring a living warmth bestows, 
 
 And o'er the year her verdant mantle throws, 
 
 No swelling inundation hides the ground ; 
 
 But clirystal currents glide within their bounds; 
 
 The finny brood their wonted haunts forsake, 
 
 Float in the sun, and skint along the lake ; 
 
 Wrth frequent leap they range the shallow streasas, 
 
 Their silver coats reflect the dazzling beams. 
 
 Now let the fisherman his toils prepare, 
 
 And arm himself with every wat'ry snare ; 
 
 His hooks, his lines peruse, with careful eye, 
 
 Increase his tackle, and his rod re-tie. 
 
 GAY. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by T. Plummer, Seething-Lane, Tower-Street. 
 
 FOR B. CROSBT AND CO. NO. 4, STATIONER*' COURT, 
 
 LUDGATE HILL. 
 
 1808.
 
 ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 THE credit of this treatise is so fully es- 
 tablished by the approbation the former 
 editions have met with, that it would be 
 quite superfluous to say any thing more in 
 its favour. In the present edition, which 
 has been revised with the greatest atten- 
 tion, I have been careful to avoid all new- 
 fangled rules, but have endeavoured to 
 render those which I have before laid down 
 more conspicuous and intelligent. Most 
 of the late publications on this pleasing 
 and rational recreation may allure by their 
 novelty for a while, but are in general so 
 vague and full of error, that, like summer 
 insects, pereunt et imputantur, they must 
 perish and be thought on no more. Hoping
 
 4 ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 I 
 
 the present edition will be well received by 
 all judicious and discriminating Anglers, I 
 shall conclude with observing, 
 
 Si quid novisti rectius istis 
 
 Candidas imperti; si mm, his utere mecum. 
 
 Or, " Better precepts if you can impart, 
 Why do I'll follow them with all my heart." 
 
 I AM, 
 
 THE PUBLIC'S 
 
 MOST OBEDIENT 
 
 HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THOMAS BEST. 
 
 * Tottenham Hale, 1804. 
 
 Excellent reception for anglers at Brother Patrick's in that 
 village.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 A Description of Fishes according to Natural His- 
 tory, with the best Methods of breeding and feeding 
 Carp, 4'c. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 The best Manner of making and chusing Rods, Lines, 
 Hooks, Sfc. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The general Baits used in Angling, where found, 
 and how preserved. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Of natural Fly-fishing, with a Description of Flies 
 generally used, and a choice Collection of Rules 
 and Hints to be observed in Angling. 
 
 B 2
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 A Description of the Fish generally angled for in 
 England and Wales, with the proper Times and 
 Seasons to Jish for them, their peculiar Haunts, 
 spawning Time, and most killing Baits. 
 
 The Salmon Chubb Loach 
 
 Trout Barbel Bull-head 
 
 Grayling Eel Sticklebach 
 
 Carp Roach Guinniad 
 
 Bream Dace Red Charr, or Welch 
 
 Pike Gudgeon Torgoch 
 
 Perch Pope The Guilt, or Gilt 
 
 Tench Bleak Charr. 
 
 Flounder Minnow 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 The most scientific Method of making Fish-Ponds, 
 Stews, fyc. ; to which are added, several Arcana 
 in the Art of Angling. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Observations concerning artificial Fly-angling, with 
 proper Directions for the Angler's Rods, Lines,
 
 CONTENTS. 7 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 A List of the Materials necessary for an Angler to 
 have, and the best Method to make the Palmer 
 and May Fly. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The Names and the best Manner of dubbing the dif- 
 ferent artificial Flies, which are generally known, 
 and will kill Fish, on any Water, from the begin- 
 ning of March to the end of September. 
 
 CHAP. IV, 
 
 A second List of very killing. Flies. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 The best Rules for artificial Fly -fishing. 
 
 CHAR VI. 
 
 Of the principal Rivers in England, and particularly 
 the Thames.. 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 Of the Game-Lazes relative to Angling. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Prognostics of the Weather, indcpcrdent of the Baro-- 
 meter. 
 
 B 3
 
 SIZES OF HOOKS. 
 
 Barbel 
 
 No. < 
 1 1 
 13 < 
 
 3 ; 
 
 9 j 
 
 3 * 
 
 2 4 
 
 12 < 
 
 4 ! 
 
 5 J 
 
 10 ; 
 12 ; 
 
 > Loaches 
 
 No. 
 ... 13 
 
 Bleak 
 
 J Miller's Thumbs 
 I Minnows . 
 
 .. 13 
 ... 13 
 
 Bream-Carp 
 
 Bream White 
 
 j Perch 
 
 ... 4 
 
 Carp 
 
 k Roach 
 
 ... 11 
 
 Chub 
 
 J Rud 
 
 ... 9 
 
 Dace 
 
 6 Ruff . 
 
 ... 9 
 
 Eels and Eel-pouts. . 
 Flounders 
 
 > Salmon 
 
 ... 1 
 
 v Salmon-Fry . . . 
 
 13 
 
 Greyling 
 
 1 Tench 
 
 ... 3 
 
 Gudgeons ..,...,. 
 
 fr Trout.. 
 
 ... 3 
 
 

 
 BEST'S 
 ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 A Description of Fishes according to Natural His- 
 tory, with the best Methods of breeding, feeding, 
 4rc. 
 
 FISHES, in natural history, are animals that 
 live in the water, as their proper place of 
 abode. Naturalists observe a world of wisdom 
 and design in the structure of fishes, and their 
 conformation to the element they reside in. 
 
 Their bodies are clothed and guarded in the 
 best manner, with scales or shells, suitable to 
 their respective circumstances, the dangers they 
 are exposed to, and the motion and business they 
 are to perform. 
 
 The center of gravity is placed in the fittest 
 part of the hody for swimming, and their shape 
 most commodious for making way through the 
 water, and most agreeable to geometrical rules. 
 
 They have several parts peculiar to themselves : 
 as fins, to balance and keep them upright ; an air- 
 bladder or swim, to enable them to rise or sink 
 to any height or depth of water at pleasure ; 
 gills or branchicE, whereby they respire as land
 
 10 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 animals do by lungs ; the tail, an instrument of 
 progressive motion, which serves to row them 
 forward; eyes peculiarly formed, to enable them 
 to correspond to all the convergencies and diver- 
 gencies of rays, which the variations of the wa- 
 tery medium, and the refractions thereof, may 
 occasion, in which respect they bear a near re- 
 semblance to birds. 
 
 Fishes are distinguished into sea or salt-water 
 fish, pisces marini ; as the whale, herring, macka- 
 rel, &c. : river or fresh-water fish, pisces Jlumales ; 
 as the pike, trout, &c. : and pond or lake fish ; as 
 the carp, tench, &c. : to which may be added, 
 others, which abide indifferently in fresh water or 
 salt; as salmon, shad-fish, &c. 
 
 There is also an amphibious kind, which lives 
 indifferently on land or water ; as the castor, ot- 
 ter, &c. 
 
 Aristotle, and after him Mr. Willoughby, more 
 accurately distinguishes fishes into cetaceous, car- 
 tilaginous, and spinous. 
 
 The cetaceous, called also belhus marina, have 
 lungs, and breathe like quadrupeds : they copu- 
 late also like them, and conceive and bring forth 
 their young alive, which they afterwards suckle 
 with their milk. 
 
 The cartilaginous are produced from large 
 eggs, like birds, which are also excluded the 
 womb like those of birds. 
 
 The spinous are also oviparous ; but their eggs 
 are smaller, and they have 'spiria up and down 
 their flesh to strengthen it. 
 
 Willoughby thinks it would be yet more pro- 
 per to divide fishes into such as breathe with 
 lungs and such as breathe with gills ; and then to 
 subdivide those that breathe with gills, not into
 
 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FISHES. 11 
 
 cartilaginous and spinous, but into viviparous 
 and oviparous. 
 
 The viviparous, that breathe with gills, he sub- 
 divides into long ; such as the galei and canes, or 
 sharks and dog-fish : and broad ; such as the 
 pastinaca, raja, &c. : the subdivisions of each 
 whereof, he gives in his chapter of cartilaginous 
 fishes in general. 
 
 The oviparous, that breathe with gills, are the 
 most numerous ; and these he subdivides into 
 such as are what we usually call flat fish, and 
 such as swim with their backs upright, or at right 
 angles with the horizon. 
 
 The plain or flat fish, called usually plani spi- 
 nosi, are either quadrati, as the rombi and pas- 
 seres, or those of the turbot or flounder kind ; or 
 longiusculi, as the SOME, or sole-kind. 
 
 Such as swim with their backs erect are either 
 long and smooth, and without scales, as the eel- 
 kind, or shorter and less smooth ; and these have 
 either but one pair of fins at their gills, which are 
 called orbes and congtneres, or else another pair 
 of fins also on their bellies : the latter he sub- 
 divides into two kinds 1st, such as have no 
 prickly fins on their backs, but soft and flexible 
 ones ; 2nd, such as have prickly fins on their 
 backs. 
 
 Those fishes which have only soft and flexible 
 fins on their backs may be divided into such as 
 have three, two, or but one single fin there. 
 
 No fish but the aselli have three fins on their 
 backs. 
 
 Fishes with two fins on their backs are either 
 the truttaceous, trout-kind ; or the gobionites, 
 loche or gudgeon kind. 
 
 Fishes with but one soft back-fin are of three
 
 12 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 sorts. The first has one long continued fin 
 from head to tail, as the hipparus of Rondeletius, 
 &c. 
 
 The fins of the second are but short, and placed 
 just in the middle of their back : and these are 
 either marine, as the herring-kind ; orfluviatile, 
 as those we call leather-mouthed fishes, such as 
 carp, tench, &c. 
 
 Fishes with prickly fins on their backs are of 
 two kinds : such as have two prickly fins on their 
 backs, and in these the interior radii of their fins 
 are always prickly ; 2nd, such as have but one 
 prickly fin there. 
 
 The English fishes that we have in our ponds, 
 rivers, &c. are as follow : 1. Cyprinus, the Carp. 
 2. Tinea, the Tench. 3. Cyprinus latus, the 
 Bream or Bruma. 4. Orfus Germanorum, the 
 Rudd, Oerve, or Nersling. 5. Capita sen Ce- 
 phalus, the Chubb or Chevin. 6. Barbus, the 
 Barbel. 7. Leucissus, the Dace or Dare. 8. Ru- 
 tilus seu Rubellio, the Roach. 9. Alburnm, the 
 Bleak or Bley. 10. Gobiusjiuviatilis, the Gud- 
 geon. 11. Cobitesjluviatilis barbatula, the Loche 
 or Loach. 12. Varius, seu Phoxinus lavis, the 
 Pink or Minnow. 
 
 These twelve are called Malacnstomi, or lea- 
 ther-mouthed fishes, because they have no teeth 
 in their jaws, but only deep down in their mouths. 
 To proceed. 13. Passer ftuviatilis sive amphi- 
 bious, the Flounder. 14. Angmlla, the Eel. 
 15. Gobio fluviatilis, the Bull-head or Miller's 
 Thumb. 16. Thymallus, the Gragling, Gray- 
 ling, or Umber. 17. Salmo, the Salmon. 18. 
 Trutta jlumatilis duum generum, the Trout. 19. 
 Albula Salmoni similis, the Guinniad. 23. Trutta 
 Salmonata, the Salmon-Trout. 21. Trutta La-
 
 BREEDING FISHES. 13 
 
 custris, the Scurf or Bull-Trout. 22. Umbla 
 minor Gcsn, the Red Chan or Welsh Torgoch. 
 
 23. Carpio lacus Benaci,the Guilt or Gilt Charr. 
 
 24. Lucius, the Pike or Pickerel. 25. Perca 
 Jiu-viatilis minor sen aurata, the Ruff. 26. Piscis 
 
 aculealus vulgaris seu pungitius Alberti, the 
 Common Prickle-back, Sharpling, or Banstickle. 
 27- Piscis aculeatus minor) the Lesser Prickle- 
 back. 28. Perca fluviatilis, the Perch. 
 
 The share of life which some fish possess is 
 worthy the notice of every curious angler. The 
 eel, being cut in pieces, maintains life and mo- 
 tion for several hours. A carp will move vigo- 
 rously some time after the intestines are taken 
 eut of its body ; but I shall say more on several 
 of these heads in treating of each particular spe- 
 cies of fish. 
 
 Fish, considered as a food, make a consider- 
 able addition to the furniture of the table ; and 
 the breeding, feeding, &c. thereof, is a peculiar 
 art, and very necessary, for the sake of economy, 
 that every country gentleman should know some- 
 thing of the method. To this relate the ponds, 
 stews, &c. which shall be described in their pro- 
 per places. 
 
 It may not be here unacceptable to give the 
 reader some general rules on the subject. 
 
 RULE I. 
 FOR BREEDING FISHES. 
 
 The quality of the pond, water, &c. proper to 
 this end, is scarcely determinable by any certain 
 symptom or rule ; for some very promising ponds 
 do not prove serviceable that way. One of the 
 best indications of a breeding pond is, when there 
 is a good store of rushes and grazing about it,
 
 14 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 with gravelly shoals, such as horse-ponds usually 
 have ; so that when a water takes thus to breed- 
 ing, 4 with a few milters and spawners, two or 
 three of each, a whole country may be stocked 
 in a short time. Eels and perches are of a very 
 good use to keep down the stock of fish ; for they 
 prey much upon the spawn and fry of bred fish, 
 and will probably destroy the superfluity of them. 
 As for pikes, tenches, roaches, perches, &c. they 
 are observed to breed almost in any waters, and 
 very numerously ; but eels never breed in stand- 
 ing waters that are without springs, and in such 
 are neither found, nor increase by putting in ; 
 yet where springs are they are never wanting, 
 though not put in : and, what is most strange of 
 all, no person ever saw in an eel the least token 
 of propagation, either by milt or spawn ; so that, 
 whether they breed at all, and how they are pro- 
 duced, are propositions equally mysterious, and 
 never yet clearly resolved. 
 
 RULE II. 
 FOR FEEDING FISHES, 
 
 Observe the following remarks : 1. In a stew 
 thirty or forty carps may be kept from October 
 to March, without feeding ; and by fishing with 
 trammels or flews, in JVlarch or April, you may 
 
 take from your great waters to recruit your stews : 
 
 r- i f i Hi 
 but you must not rail to Jeed all the summer, 
 
 from March to October again, as constantly as 
 cropped chickens are fed ; and it will prove pro- 
 fitable. 
 
 2. The constancy and regularity of serving the 
 fish, conduce very much to their eating well and 
 thriving.
 
 FEEDING FISHES. 15 
 
 3. Any sort of grain boiled is good to feed 
 with, especially peas and malt coarse ground. 
 The grains after brewing, while sweet and fresh, 
 are very proper ; but one bushel of malt, not 
 brewed, will go as far as two of grains. Chippings 
 of bread and orts of a table, steeped in tap-drop- 
 pings of strong beer or ale, are excellent food for 
 carp. Of these, the quantity of two quarts to 
 thirty carps is sufficient ; and so fed morning and 
 evening is better than once a day only. 
 
 There is a sort of food for fishes that may be 
 called accidental, and is no less improving than 
 the best that can be provided ; and this is when 
 the pools happen to receive the waste of com- 
 mons where sheep have pasture : the water is 
 enriched by the soil, and will feed a much greater 
 number of carp than it otherwise would do ; and 
 further, the dung that falls from cattle standing 
 in the water, in hot weather, is also a very great 
 nourishment to fish. 
 
 The best food to raise pikes to an extraordinary 
 size or fatness is eels ; and without them it is not 
 to be done, but in a long time : setting these 
 aside, small perches are the best meat. Breams 
 put into a pike-pond breed exceedingly, ^and are 
 fit to maintain pikes, who will take care they do 
 not increase over much. The numerous fry of 
 roaches, and other small fish, which come from 
 the greater pools into the pike-quarters, will like- 
 wise be good diet for them. Pikes in all streams, 
 and carp in all hungry springing waters, being 
 fed at certain times, will come up, and take their 
 meat almost from your hand. 
 
 The best feeding-place is towards the mouth of 
 the pond, at the depth of about half a yard ; for 
 by that means the deep will be kept clean and 
 c
 
 16 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 neat. The meat thrown into the water, without 
 other trouble, will be picked up by the fishes, and 
 nothing be lost : yet there are several devices for 
 giving them food, especially peas ; as a square 
 board let down with the peas upon it. 
 
 Where fishes are fed in large pools or ponds, 
 when their numbers are great, malt boiled, or 
 fresh grains, is the best food. Thus carp maybe 
 fed and raised like capons, and tenches will feed 
 as well ; but perches are not for a stew in feeding 
 time. 
 
 As to the benefits that redound from keeping 
 fish, besides furnishing the table and raising mo- 
 ney, your land will be improved, so as to be really 
 worth and yield more this way than by any other 
 employ whatsoever : for suppose a meadow of 
 two pounds per acre ; four acres in pond will 
 return every year a thousand fed carps, from the 
 least size to fourteen or fifteen inches long, be- 
 sides pikes, perches, tenches, and other fry. The 
 carps are saleable, and will bring sixpence, nine- 
 pence, and perhaps one shilling each, amounting 
 in all to twenty-five pounds, which is six pounds 
 five shillings per acre. 
 
 You should make choice of such a place for 
 your pond, that it may be refreshed with a little 
 rill, or with rain water running or falling into it ; 
 by so doing fish are both more inclined to breed, 
 and are refreshed and fed the better. 
 
 There are many circumstances that conduce 
 much to the feeding of pikes, perches, chubs, 
 carps, roaches, daces, and breams, particularly 
 conveniency of harbour ; for those fish that lie 
 amongst weeds and boggy places are the fattest, 
 though not the sweetest. In these kind of places 
 they are secured from the assaults of their nume-
 
 ENEMIES OF FISH. 17 
 
 rous enemies,, and enjoy a more safe and con- 
 tented repose, rest cind quietness being as natural 
 and helpful to their feeding as to other creatures. 
 Some waters are more nourishing than others : 
 a thick kind, if it is not foul or muddy, is of a 
 better consistency, and the parts better disposed 
 and qualified for nutrition, than those of a more 
 thin and rarified substance. No element that is 
 pure and without mixture is well adapted for 
 nourishment, neither can fishes live by pure wa- 
 ter, respiration, or sucking in those slender par- 
 ticles of their beloved element alone, without the 
 concurrence and assistance of some grosser and 
 terrene qualities, which are intermingled with 
 those liquid bodies. 
 
 Having mentioned that fishes are exposed to 
 numerous enemies, I shall conclude this chapter 
 by giving the reader a poetical enumeration of 
 them. 
 
 A thousand foes the finny people chace, 
 Nor are they safe from their own kindred race : 
 The pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, 
 With ravenous waste devours his fellow train ; 
 Yet, howsoe'er with raging famine pined, 
 The tench he spares, a salutary kind. 
 Hence too the perch, a like voracious brood, 
 Forbears to make this generous race his food j 
 Though on the common drove no bound he finds, 
 But spreads unmeasured waste o'er all the kinds. 
 Nor less the' greedy trout and glutless eel 
 Incessant woes and dire destruction deal. 
 The lurking water-rat in caverns preys, 
 And in the weeds the wily otter slays. 
 The ghastly newt in muddy streams annoys, 
 And in swift floods the felly snake destroys. 
 Toads for the shoaling fry forsake the lawn, 
 And croaking frogs devour the tender spawn. 
 Neither the 'habitants of land nor air 
 (So sure their doom) the fishy numbers spare ! 
 The swan, fair regent of the silver tide, 
 Their ranks destroys and spreads their ruin wide : 
 c 2
 
 18 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 The duck her offspring to the river leads, 
 
 And on the destined fry insatiate feeds : 
 
 On fatal wings the pouncing bittern soars, 
 
 And wafts her prey from the defenceless shores : 
 
 The watchful halcyons to the reeds repair, 
 
 And from their haunts the scaly captives bear : 
 
 Sharp her'ns and corm'rants too their tribes oppress, 
 
 A harass'd race, peculiar in distress : 
 
 Nor can the muse enumerate their foes, 
 
 Such is their fate, so various are their woes. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 The best Manner of making and chusitig Roits t 
 Lincsy Hooks ) <$ - c. 
 
 THE best time to provide stocks is in the win- 
 ter solstice^ when the trees have shed their 
 leaves, and the sap is in their roots ; for after Ja- 
 nuary the sap ascends again into the trunk and 
 branches, at which time it is improper to gather 
 stocks or tops. As for the stocks, they should be 
 lower grown, and the tops the best rush ground 
 shoots that can be got ; not knotty, but propor- 
 tionable and slender, for if otherwise they will 
 never cast nor strike so well, and the line, by rea- 
 son of their unpliableness, must be much endan- 
 gered. Now when both stock and top are gather- 
 ed in one season, and as straight as possible to be 
 got, bathe them over a gentle fire, and never use 
 them till they are well seasoned, which will be in 
 one year and four month, but longer keeping 
 them will make them better : and for preserving 
 them when made into rods, both from rotting ana 
 being worm-eaten, rub them over thrice a year
 
 MAKING AND CHUSING RODS, &C. 19 
 
 with sallad or linseed oil ; if they are bored, pour 
 in either of the oils, and let them soak therewith 
 for twenty-four hours, then pour it out again, and 
 it will preserve them from the least injury. In 
 general the length of the rod is to be determined 
 by the breadth of the river you angle in ; but a 
 long rod is always of more use than one too short, 
 provided it is truly made : one of about five yard 
 and a half long you will experimentally find to 
 be quite sufficient. When you have taken your 
 stocks and tops from the place that you put them 
 in for seasoning (where they must have remained 
 sixteen months at least), match them together in 
 just proportion, and let the rod consist of five or 
 six pieces; if you ferrule it, observe that they fit 
 with the greatest nicety, and in such a manner as 
 when put all together they may not wriggle iu 
 the least, but be in proportion and strength as if 
 the whole rod were but one piece. If you bind 
 them together, it must be with thread stroirgly 
 waxed, having first cut the pieces with a slope or 
 slant that they may join each other with the 
 greatest exactness, and then spread a thin layer 
 of shoemaker's wax over :iie slants, or a glue 
 which I have set down in the arcana for the un- 
 gler's use : afterwards you must cut about six 
 inches off the top of the rod, and in its pl;-,ce whip 
 on a smooth, round, and taper piece of whalebone, 
 and at the top of that a strong loop of horse-hair : 
 then the whole will be completed, and thus made 
 will always ply with a true bent to the hand. 
 Your fly-rods may be made in the same manner; 
 but note, must be much more pliant than the 
 others, and more taper from stock to top. It is 
 of service to them to lay by some time before you 
 use them.
 
 20 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 Your top for the running line must be always 
 gentle, that the fish may the more insensibly run 
 away with th*e bait, and not be checked by its 
 being too stiff. 
 
 For all fishes that bite tenderly, a rod made of 
 cane, reed, or bamboo, is the best, only be care- 
 ful when you chuse such a one, that it will strike 
 well, and that the medium between the ferrule and 
 the joint that goes in is not cut too fine ; for if it 
 is, when you strike a good fish, it is ten to one 
 you will lose some part of your rod, your line, and 
 of course the fish , a misfortune that has often 
 happened to me, before I was acquainted with 
 the above rule. 
 
 A general rod is one which serves for trolling, 
 dibbing, and the ground : for the former purpose 
 small brass rings must be whipped all the way up 
 it, at about a foot distance, for the trolling-line to 
 run through ; it may likewise be bored in the 
 stock to hold the tops you are not using. That 
 which you use for the troll must be strong, and 
 have a ring on the top whipped on with apiece of 
 quill to prevent the line being cut, when the vo- 
 racious pike runs off with your bait to his hold ; 
 one of the others must not be so stiff, which will 
 serve for carps, tenches, &,c. ; and the other fine 
 and elastic for dace and roach fishing. These 
 kind of rods, which are called bag-rods, and go 
 up in a small compass, are to be had at all the 
 fishing-tackle shops in London, more particularly 
 in Crooked-lane, near the Monument ; Fleet- 
 street ; Bell-yard ; also an excellent shop facing 
 Southampton-street, Strand. 
 
 Angling-Line. To make this line, first note, 
 that you are to take care that your hair be round 
 and clear, and free from, galls, scales, or frets ;
 
 MAKING AND CHUSING RODS &C. 
 
 for a well-chosen, even, clear, round hair, of a 
 
 kind of glass-colour, will prove as strong as three 
 
 uneven scabby hairs : then put them in water 
 
 for a quarter of an hour, when made into lengths, 
 
 and you will thereby find which of them shrink ; 
 
 then twist them over again. Some in the twisting 
 
 intermingle silk, which is erroneous ; yet a line 
 
 of all silk may do pretty well, though I prefer 
 
 hair in every mode of angling, except trolling, 
 
 and then a silk line is best Now the best colours 
 
 for lines are sorrel, white, and grey ; the two last 
 
 colours for clear waters, and the first for muddy 
 
 waters : neither is the pale watery green despi- 
 
 cable, which is made thus : put a pint of strong 
 
 alum-water, half a pound of soot, a small quan- 
 
 tity of juice of waluut-leaves, into a pipkin, boil 
 
 them about half an hour, then take it on the fire, 
 
 and when it is cold steep your hair in it ; or else 
 
 boil a handful of marygold-flowers, with a quart 
 
 of alum-water, till a yellow scum arises, then take 
 
 half a pound of green copperas, with as much 
 
 verdigris, and beat them together to a fine pow- 
 
 der, and put them and the hair into the alum- wa- 
 
 ter, and let them lie in it ten hours or more, then 
 
 take them out and let them dry. Hair is made 
 
 brown by steeping it in salt and ale. The best way 
 
 of forming the hair into lines is with a new-in- 
 
 vented engine, to be bought at any of the shops, 
 
 and is to be used thus. To twist links with this en- 
 
 gine, take as many hairs as you intend each shall 
 
 consist of, and dividing them into three parts, tie 
 
 each parcel to a bit of fine twine, about six inches 
 
 long, doubled, and put through the hooks which 
 
 impend from the machine : then take a piece of 
 
 lead, of a conical figure, two inches high and two 
 
 in diameter at the base, with a hook at the apex
 
 22 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 or point ; tie your three parcels of hair into one 
 knot, and to this, by the hook, hang the weight. 
 
 Lastly, take a common bottle-cork, and into 
 the sides, at equal distances, cut three grooves; 
 and placing it so as to receive each division or' 
 hairs, begin to twist. You will then find the links 
 twist with great evenness at the lead : as it grows 
 tighter, shift the cork a little upwards, and when 
 the whole is sufficiently twisted, take out the cork, 
 and tie the links into a knot ; and so proceed till 
 you have twisted links sufficient for your line, ob- 
 serving to lessen the number of hairs in each link, 
 in such proportion that the line may be taper. 
 
 Never strain your hairs before they are made 
 into a line, if you do they will shrink when used. 
 
 Your links thus prepared, tie them together into 
 a water-knot ; then cut off the short ends, about 
 a straw's breadth from the knot, and then whip 
 some waxed silk about the knots, which is much 
 better than inclosing them with wax. 
 
 Never, either at ground or fly angling, fix any 
 hooks to a line that consists of more than three or 
 four links at the most; but always make a small 
 loop at the top and bottom of your line : the use of 
 the one is to fasten it to your rod, and of the other 
 to affix or remove your armed hooks. The line 
 should always be leaded according to the rapidity 
 or quietness of the river you angle in ; therefore, 
 as nearly as you can guess, always lead it in such 
 manner as will sink the bait to the bottom, and 
 permit its motion, without any violent jogging on 
 the ground. Carry the top of your rod even with 
 your hand, beginning at the head of the stream, 
 and letting the bait run downwards, as far as the 
 rod and line will permit, the lead dragging and 
 rolling on the ground. No more of the line must-
 
 MAKING AND CHUSING RODS, &C. 23 
 
 be in the water than will permit the lead to touch 
 the bottom ; for you are to keep the line as straight 
 as possible, yet so as not to raise the lead from the 
 bottom. When you have a bite, you may per- 
 ceive it by your hand and the point of your rod 
 and line : then strike gently and upwards, if you 
 cannot tell which way the fish's head lies; but if 
 you can, the contrary way from where it does ; 
 first allowing the fish, by a little slackening the 
 line, a small time to pouch the bait. This is 
 called angling by hand, and is very killing for 
 trout, grayling, &c. 
 
 I shall treat of Float-fishing under the descrip- 
 tion of each fish. 
 
 As for your Fishing-hooks, they ought to be 
 made of the best-tempered steel wire, longish in 
 the shank, and somewhat thick in the circumfe- 
 rence, the point even and straight ; let the bend- 
 ing be in the shank. For setting on the hook, or 
 more scientifically speaking, arming it, use strong 
 but small silk, slightly waxed with shoemaker's 
 wax ; and lay the hair on the inside of the hook, 
 for if it be on the outside the silk will fret and 
 cut it asunder. There are several sizes of hooks, 
 large ones and small ones, made according to the 
 fishes they are designed to take, which, when I 
 come to treat of the different fish, the number of 
 the hook proper for each will be fully expressed. 
 
 Ford and Kirby's hooks are excellent ones, but 
 the best I ever had were from Red-bridge in 
 Hampshire. 
 
 Floats, for angling, are of divers kinds : some 
 made of Muscovy-duck-quills, which are the best 
 for slow waters ; but for strong streams, sound 
 cork, without flaws or holes, bored through with 
 a hot iron, into which is put a quill of fit pro-
 
 24 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 portion, is preferable : pare the cork to a pyra- 
 midal form, grind it smooth with a pumice-stone, 
 then colour it according to your fancy. Floats, 
 whether quill or cork, must be poised with shot 
 when on the line, as to make them cock ; that is, 
 stand perpendicular in the water, that the least 
 nibble or bite may be apparent. 
 
 When a float is split or bruised, there is no re- 
 medy for the mischance but getting a new one ; 
 but you may save the plug, and it will serve for 
 another. But if the water gets in at the top of 
 your float, a little sealing-wax will prevent it ; if 
 the plug of your float is loose, pull it out, and 
 fasten it with the following cements. 
 
 Take bees-wax bruised small, chalk scraped fine, 
 and black rosin powdered, of each an equal quan- 
 tity ; melt them in a spoon, or any small tin ves- 
 sel, and see that they are well mixed : or take 
 brick-dust sifted very fine, and common rosin, pul- 
 verised ; put one part of brick-dust to two parts of 
 rosin, and melt them as before directed : dip your 
 ping in either of these, and put your float imme- 
 diately upon it. When you join two floats toge- 
 ther, let the plug be a little thicker in the middle 
 than at the ends, which ends are to go into the 
 quills; dip one end into the cement, and put one 
 quill upon it : then do the like by the other, and 
 you have a double float : or you may make it by 
 dipping the ends of both quills, when prepared, 
 in the cement, and fixing them together, which, 
 when the cement is cold, will be very strong. 
 
 To dye quills red, which for still waters are bet- 
 ter than any other floats, take what quantity you 
 please of urine, and put in it as much powder of 
 Brazil wood as will make it redden a piece of 
 white paper ; then take some clean water, into
 
 BAITS USED IN ANGLING. 25 
 
 which put a handful of salt, and a little argol, 
 and stir them till dissolved : then boil them well 
 in a sauce-pan. When the water is cold, scrape 
 your quills, and steep them in it for ten or twelve 
 days, then dry them, and rub them with a wool- 
 len cloth. 
 
 The materials most necessary for an angler to 
 have out with him, and which may be well car- 
 ried in his pockets, are, lines coiled up ; spare 
 links ; two worm-bags, one for brandlings, &c. 
 and the other for lob-worms ; a plummet to fix 
 the depth of the water, of a pyramidal form ; a 
 gentle-box ; floats and spare caps ; split shot ; 
 shoemakers' wax in a piece of leather ; silk ; 
 hooks, some whipped on and some loose ; a 
 clearing-ring, which is of use to disengage the 
 hook when entangled ; a landing-net, ^to land 
 large fish with ; the disgorger, which when a fish 
 has gorged the hook, by putting it down his 
 throat, till you touch the hook, at the same time 
 pulling the line, it will easily come away. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The general Baits used in Angling^ where found, and 
 how preserved. 
 
 THE reader being furnished with the best 
 rules relative to his rods, lines, hooks, &,c. I 
 shall give him a list of the baits in general of use 
 in angling ; but must desire him to observe, that 
 fish take all sorts of baits, most eagerly and freely, 
 when he presents them to them in such order and 
 manner as nature affords them, or as they them- 
 selves generally gather them.
 
 26 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 THE LOB-WORM, DEW-WORM, GARDEN-WORM) TWAf- 
 CHELL, OR TREACHET, 
 
 Found in a garden or church-yard late in a sum- 
 mer's evening, with a lanthorn. When the sum- 
 mer proves a very dry one, they may be forced 
 out of their holes with the liquor produced by 
 bruising walnut-tree-leaves in water. The best of 
 these are those which have a red head, a streak 
 down the back, and a broad tail, from which they 
 derive the name of squirrel-tails. 
 
 This is a principal worm for salmon, chub, 
 trout, barbel, and eels of the largest size. 
 
 BRANDLINGS^ GILT-TAILS, AND RED-WORMS, 
 
 Found in old dunghills, rotten earth, cows' dung, 
 hogs' dung ; but the best are those to be met witb 
 in tanners' bark after it is thrown by. 
 
 These, especially the two first, are for trout, 
 grayling, salmon-smelts, gudgeon, perch, tench, 
 and bream : the three last take the red-worm, 
 well-scoured, exceedingly well. 
 
 MARSH OR MEADOW-WORMS, 
 
 Found in marshy ground or the fertile banks of 
 rivers, are a little blueish, require more scouring 
 than the brandling or gilt-tail, and are taken from 
 Candlemas to Michaelmas. 
 
 This is a choice worm in March, April, and 
 September, for trouts, salmon-smelts, gudgeon, 
 grayling, flounder, bream, .and perch. 
 
 TAG-TAIL, 
 
 Found in marled lands, or meadows after a 
 shower of rain, or early in the morning in March
 
 TO SCOUR AND PRESERVE WORMS. 27 
 
 or April, if the weather is mild and temperate, 
 and is a most excellent bait. 
 
 This is an excellent bait for a trout, if you an- 
 gle with it whilst the water is discoloured by rain. 
 
 SOW TO SCOUR AND PRESERVE WORMS. 
 
 Get a quantity of moss, the best is that whick 
 is soft and white, and grows on heaths, but as this 
 is scarce to be had in some parts, in lieu of it any 
 kind that is fresh and sweet ; rinse it well from the 
 earth that hangs about, and then wring it very 
 dry : put your worms and it into an earthen pot, 
 cover it close that they do not crawl away, and 
 set it in a cool place in summer, and in winter in 
 a warm one, which will prevent the frost from 
 killing them : change the moss every fourth day 
 in summer, and once a week in winter, or at least 
 let the old moss be taken from them, washed, 
 squeezed pretty dry, and put it to them again. If 
 you want them to be quickly scoured, a little bole- 
 ammoniac put to them will accomplish your desire; 
 or you may put them in water for three or four 
 hours, and they will soon be scoured, yet be very 
 weak, but being put to good moss, they will spee- 
 dily recover. When the knot near the middle of 
 the brandling begins to swell, he is sick; and for 
 fear they should die, feed them witk crumbs of 
 bread, and with the yolk of an egg and sweet 
 cream coagulated over the fire. Never steep your 
 worms in moss to scour them above ten days, in 
 which time they will be perfectly fit for use. 
 
 There is another way of cleansing and preserv- 
 ing worms recommended by many anglers, and is 
 a very good one for every kind of them except 
 the lob-worm : lake a piece of very coarse cloth, 
 D
 
 28 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 which has never been shrunk in the fulling-mill, 
 wash it very clean, and let it dry : then soak it 
 in the liquor where a fat piece of fresh beef has 
 been boiled, and wring it out, but not so hard, as 
 to press out all the liquor ; then lay it in a deep 
 earthen pan, that has a large bottom, and put 
 your worms thereon, that they may crawl in and 
 out, and so scour themselves : when they have re- 
 mained there twenty-four hours, wash out your 
 cloth as before, but do not dry it ; then wet it 
 again with some of the same liquor, and having 
 placed your worms thereon, keep them in a close 
 cellar: repeat this every other day during the heat 
 of the summer, and you will not only preserve your 
 worms alive for three weeks or a month, but make 
 them very red, clear and tough'. When you 
 take them out for angling, put them into moss 
 that has been well washed and not wrung dry ; 
 and when you come home at night, put them 
 again into the pan, by which they will recover 
 and gather fresh strength. Take care that there is 
 no salt in the beef liquor, for if there is your 
 worms will purge themselves to death. 
 
 Mr. Gay, in his Rural Sports, is particularly 
 partial to the gilt-tail, as is apparent by the fol- 
 lowing lines. . 
 
 You must not every worm promiscuous use : 
 Judgment will tell the proper baits to chuse. 
 The worm that draws a long, immod'rate size, 
 The trout abhors, and the rank morsel flies ; 
 And if too small, the naked fraud's in sight, 
 And fear forbids while hunger does invite. 
 Those baits will best reward the fisher's pains, 
 "Whose polish'd tails a shining yellow stains : 
 Cleanse them from filth to give a tempting gloss, 
 Cherish the sully'd reptile race with moss : 
 Amid the verdant bed, they twine, they toil, 
 And from their bodies wipe their native soil.
 
 PALMER-FLY, &C. 29 
 
 P.iLMER-FLY, PALMER-WORM, WOOL-BUD, OR 
 CANKERS, 
 
 Found in herbs, plants, and trees, where they are 
 bred, if not a perfect caterpillar, yet undoubtedly 
 a species thereof : they gain the name of wool- 
 beds from their outward parts being woolly. 
 These and the May-fly are the foundation of fly- 
 tmgling. 
 
 These are good baits either for trout, chub, 
 grayling, roach, or dace. 
 
 BOBS, 
 
 Found in sandy or mellow ground, and got by 
 following the plough in Autumn, are worms as 
 big as two maggots, have red heads, and their bo- 
 dies full of soft guts. Put them in a tub with 
 some of the mould that you gather them in, keep 
 them in a warm place, and they are an excellent 
 bait from the first of November till the middle of 
 April. You may boil them the morning you in- 
 tend angling, in milk and water, for two minutes, 
 which will make them tough ; and put them in a 
 box where gum-ivy has been rubbed. 
 
 These are choice baits from the beginning of 
 November until after the middle of April, for 
 chub, roach, dace, salmon-smelts, trout, bream, 
 tench, and carp. 
 
 C01T-TURD-BOB OR CLAP-BAIT^ 
 
 Found under a cow-turd from the beginning of 
 May to Michaelmas : it is bigger than a gentle, 
 but very r like one : it is best kept in the same 
 earth you find it in. 
 
 B 2
 
 30 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 This is an excellent bait for a trout, if you an- 
 gle with it on the top of the water with a bristled 
 hook. 
 
 FLAG-WORMS OR DOCK-WORMS, 
 
 Found among flags, in old pits or ponds, in little 
 husks among the strings or. fibres of the roots, are 
 small worms, pale yellow or white, as a gentle. 
 These are very good baits. 
 
 These are excellent baits for graylings, tench, 
 bream, carp, roach, and dace. 
 
 BACK-WORM OR ASH-GRVBy 
 
 Found under the bark of an oak, ash, elder, or 
 beech, especially when felled, and they have lain 
 some time, or in the hollow of those trees when 
 dotted and rotten. It is to be used from Michael- 
 mas to May or June. It is very full and white, 
 bent rouud from the tail to the head, and the parts 
 resembling a young dor or humble-bee. 
 
 This is an excellent bait for trout and gray- 
 ling : it is very tender, and curious to be baited 
 with. 
 
 COD-BAIT) CAD-BAIT., CADIS OR CASE WORM, 
 
 Are thus differently called, and are of three 
 
 sorts : 
 
 1st. Found under stones that lie loose and hol- 
 low, in small brooks, shallow rivers, or very fine 
 gravel, in case or husk ; and when fit for use they 
 are yellowish, are bigger than a gentle, with a 
 blackish head. Another sort is found in pits, 
 ponds, ditches, in rushes, water-weeds, straw, &.c.
 
 GENTLES OR MAGGOTS, TO BREED, &C. 31 
 
 called ruff-coats or straw-worms. The next is a 
 green 'sort, found in pits, ponds, or ditches, in 
 March, coming in before the yellow ones, which 
 are not to be fished with till April, and in July 
 they go out of season : the last sort is to be used 
 in the month of August. When you take them 
 to fish with, carry them in woollen bags, for the 
 air kills them. 
 
 These are excellent baits for all kinds of fish,, 
 particularly a large chub. 
 
 GENTLES OR MAGGOTS, TO BREED AND PRESERVE. 
 
 Take a piece of beast's liver, scotch it with a 
 knife, and with a cross stick, hung it in some cor- 
 ner, over a pot or barrel half full of dry, crumbled 
 clay, and bran or sand : as the geniles grow big, 
 they will fall into the barrel and scour them- 
 selves, and be always ready for use whenever you 
 are inclined to fish; and these gentles may be 
 thus created till after Michaelmas. But if you 
 desire to keep gentles all the year, then get a dead 
 cat or kite, and let it be fly-blown ; and when the 
 gentles begin to be alive and stir, then bury it 
 and them in moist or soft earth, but as free from 
 frost as you can, and these you may dig up at any 
 time when you want to use them ; these will last 
 to March, and about that time turn into flies.. 
 
 Gentles are not only the most universal but 
 also the most alluring bait, and an angler should 
 never go out a fishing without taking some with 
 him. Trouts have been taken with them when 
 they have refused all kinds of worms and artifi- 
 cial flies : to every kind of fis-h they are an accep- 
 table bait, pikes and salmons excepted ; but I do 
 not doubt they would be so to them, were it possi-
 
 32 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 ble to fix them on a hook large enough to hold 
 the above-mentioned fishes. 
 
 HOW TO F/A'B AND PRESERVE CATERPILLARS) OAK- 
 WORMS, CABBAGE-WORMS^ COLW ART-WORM OR 
 GRUB, CRAB-TREE-WORM OR JACK) AND GRASS- 
 BOPPERS, 
 
 Found by beating the branches of an oak, crab- 
 tree, or hawthorn, that grow over a public path 
 or highway, or upon cabbages, coleworts, &c. 
 Grasshoppers are found in short sun-burnt grass, 
 the latter end of June, all July and August. To 
 preserve these baits, cut a round bough of fine 
 green-barked withy, about the thickness of half 
 one's arm, and taking off the bark about a foot in 
 length, turn both ends together, into the form of 
 a hoop, and fasten them with a needle and thread; 
 then stop up the bottom with a bung-cork, into 
 this put your baits, and tie a colewart leaf over it, 
 and with a red-hot iron bore the bark full of holes, 
 and lay it in the grass every night. In this man- 
 ner your cads may be kept till they turn to flies : 
 to your grasshopper put grass. 
 
 PASTES 
 
 Are variously compounded, according to the an- 
 gler's fancy, but there should always be a little 
 cotton-wool, fine lint, or flax, to keep the parts 
 together, that they wash not off the hooks. The 
 following compositions make very good pastes : 
 
 The blood of sheep's hearts, mixed with honey 
 nnd flour, and worked to a proper consistence r 
 old cheese grated, a little butter, sufficient to
 
 SINGULARLY KILLING BAITS. 33 
 
 work it, and coloured with saffron. In winter, fat 
 rusty bacon instead of butter. Crumbs of bread, 
 worked with honey, and moistened with gum-ivy 
 water. The inside of a French roll, or crumbs of 
 bread, worked well with clean hands with water 
 alone. What fishes each of these pastes are pro- 
 per for, the reader will find under the description 
 of each fish, therefore I shall only make the fol- 
 lowing observations concerning pastes, which may 
 be of use to young anglers, because founded on 
 experience : note, that in September, and all the 
 winter months, when you angle for chubs, carps, 
 and breams, with paste, let the bait be as large as 
 a hazel-nut ; but for roach and dace, the bigness 
 of a pea is sufficient. Chuse a still place, use a 
 quill float, a small hook, and strike at the first bi- 
 ting of the fish. 
 
 When you wish to have your pastes of a yellow 
 colour, use a little turmeric ; when of a flesh or 
 salmon colour, vermilion or red lead. 
 
 BAITS SINGULARLY KILLING TO FISH WITB. 
 
 Sheep's blood, placed on a trencher till it be- 
 comes pretty hard, then cut into small pieces pro- 
 portioned to the size of the hook : put a little salt 
 to it, and it will prevent its growing black. Wheat 
 or malt, boiled soft in milk, and the husk taken 
 off, a good bait either in winter or summer. The 
 ant-fly, found in June, July, August, and the be- 
 ginning of September, in mole-hills or ant-nests, 
 where they breed : take some of the earth, and 
 the roots of the grass which grow upon it, and put 
 all in a glass bottle, then gather some of the lar- 
 gest and blackest ant-flies, and put them into the
 
 34 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 bottle. These are a deadly bait for roach, dace, 
 and chub : you must angle with them under wa- 
 ter, a hand's breadth from the bottom. The young 
 brood of wasps, hornets, and humble-bees, are 
 likewise very good : also minnows, loaches, sharp- 
 lings, and bull-heads. Snails, black and white : 
 the black one's bellies slit to show the white. 
 Likewise cherries, blackberries, cheese kept a day 
 or two in wet rags, which makes it tough, or 
 steeped in a little honey. Also salmon-spawn, 
 which must be boiled till it is hard enough to 
 stick on the hdok ; and if you wish to preserve 
 it, sprinkle a little salt over it, and get a glazed 
 earthen pot, and put a layer of wool at the bot- 
 tom of it, and then a little salmon spawn trpon 
 that ; then wool again, and then spawn, and so 
 proceed alternately till the pot is filled : it is a 
 most destructive bait in the winter and spring, es- 
 pecially if angled with where salmon are known 
 to spawn; for there every kind offish resort in. 
 order to devour it. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Of natural Fly-fishing, with a Description of Flies 
 generally used.) and a choice Collection of Rules 
 and Hints to be observed in the Art of Angling. 
 
 ATURAL fly-fishing-, which comes under 
 the heads of dibbling, daping, and dab- 
 bing, is a method with which the largest fish are 
 taken, and requires a deal of nicety and circum- 
 spection, The general rule in this way of angling
 
 FLY-FISHING, &C. 35 
 
 is to fish with a line about half the length of your 
 rod ; but if there is wind stirring, with as much 
 as it will carry out ; but you need hardly ever fish 
 with more than the first length, as dibbling must 
 be performed as near as possible to the bank that 
 you stand on ; therefore a long rod and a short 
 line is the best, which you will command with 
 ease, and be able to shelter yourself from the 
 sight of the fishes, behind bushes, stumps of 
 trees, &c. The line you dib with should be very 
 strong ; for when you have struck a good fish, 
 you will have a hard bout with him before you 
 kill him, for want of a greater length of line : 
 therefore, whenever I dib I always use a ringed 
 rod, with a winch for my line fixed on it, by 
 which means I can always keep my line to any 
 length, without the trouble of changing it ; and 
 when I have hooked a good fish, can always give 
 him as much scope as 1 think necessary, and kill 
 him with great ease and certainty ; this method 
 I would by all means advise the angler to use, 
 who will be thoroughly convinced of its utility at 
 the first trial he makes. Let the top of your rod 
 be a stiff one. When you see a fish rise near you, 
 guide your fly over him immediately, and he is 
 your own if the fly you use is strong on the wa- 
 ter. When you dib for chub, roach, and dace, 
 move your fly very slow when you see them make 
 at it, or let the stream carry it down towards 
 them : if it be in a still, deep, shady hole, 
 draw the fly sideways by them, and they will 
 always eagerly pursue it. The roach takes flies, 
 the best a little under water. The best for the 
 angler's use in this method of angling are a& 
 follow :
 
 36 BEST'S AR.T OF ANGLING. 
 
 OAK-FLY) ASH-FLY) OR WOODCOCK-FLY, 
 
 Found on the body of an oak or ash, with his 
 head downwards in general, and near the bottom 
 of the tree : it is a brownish fly, and is taken from 
 the beginning of May till the end of August. 
 
 STONE-FLY^ 
 
 Found under hollow 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. 
 
 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 is easily taken from May to Midsummer : 
 put the point of the hook into the thickest part 
 of his body, under one of his wings, run it direct- 
 ly through, and out on the other side ; then take 
 another, and put him on in the same manner, 
 but with his head the contrary way : they will 
 live so near a quarter of an hour. 
 
 The green and grey drake are taken both in 
 streams and still waters, at all hours of the day, 
 while in season : the stone-fly chiefly in the morn- 
 ing and evening. 
 
 GREY DRAKE) 
 
 Found in general where the green drake is, and 
 in shape and dimensions perfectly the same, but
 
 GREY DRAKE* 37 
 
 almost quite another colour, being of a paler and 
 more livid yellow, and green and ribbed with 
 black quite down his body, with black shining 
 wings, diaphanous and very tender : it comes in 
 and is taken after the green drake, and when 
 made artificially, as directed in part the Qd, for 
 the month of May, kills fish very well. The fol- 
 lowing curious account of it from Bowlker can- 
 not fail to amuse the reader. 
 
 <f I happened to walk by the river-side, at that 
 season of the year, when the May-flies (he means 
 the grey sort), which are a species of the Libella, 
 cojne up out of the water, where they lie in their 
 husks for a considerable time, at the bottom or 
 sides of the river, near the likeness of the nymph 
 of the small common Libella ; but when it is 
 mature, it splits open its case, and then, with 
 great agility, up springs the new little animal, 
 with a slender body, four blackish-veined, trans- 
 parent wings, with four black spots on the upper 
 wings, and the under wings much smaller than 
 the upper ones, with three long hairs on its tail. 
 The husks which are left behind float innumera- 
 ble on the water. It seemed to me a species of 
 llphemeron, and I imagined it was the same in- 
 sect described by Godart and Swamerdan ; but a 
 few days convinced me to the contrary, for I soon 
 found them to be pf longer duration than theirs. 
 The first business of this creature, after he is dis- 
 engaged from the water, is flying about to find 
 out a proper place to fix on, as trees, bushes, &c. 
 to wait for another surprising change, which is 
 effected in a few days. The first hint I received 
 of this wonderful operation was seeing the exuvia 
 hanging on a hedge : I then collected a great 
 many, and put them into boxes ; and by strictly
 
 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 observing them, I could tell when they were 
 ready to put off their husks, though but so lately 
 put on. I had the pleasure to show ray friends 
 one that I held in my hand all the while it per- 
 formed this great work. It is surprising to see 
 how easily the back part of the fly split open, and 
 produced the new birth, which I could not per- 
 ceive partakes of any thing from its parent, but 
 leaves head, body, wings, legs, and even its 
 three-haired tail, behind on the case. After it 
 has reposed itself a while, it flies with great 
 briskness to seek its mate. In the new fly a 
 remarkable difference is seen in their sexes, 
 which I could not so easily perceive in their first 
 state, the male and female being then much of a 
 size ; but now the male was much the smallest, 
 and the hairs in his tail much the longest. I was 
 very careful to see if I could find them engender- 
 ing, but all that I could discover was, that the 
 males separated, and kept under cover of the 
 trees, remote from the river : hither the females 
 resorted, and mixed with them in their flight, 
 great numbers together, with a very quick mo- 
 tion of darting or striking at one another when 
 they met, with great vigour, just as house-flies 
 will do in a sunny room : this they continued to 
 do for many hours, and this seemed to be their 
 way of coition, which most be quick and soon 
 performed, as they are of so short a duration. 
 When the females were impregnated, they left 
 the company of the males, and sought the river, 
 and kept constantly playing up and down on the 
 water. It was very plainly seen, that every time 
 ihey darted down, they ejected a cluster of eggs, 
 .Vvhich seemed a pale, blueish speck, like a small 
 tlrop of milk, as they descended on the water ;
 
 GREY CRAKE. 39 
 
 then, by the help of their tail, they spring up 
 again, and descend again, and thus continue till 
 they have exhausted their stock of eggs, and 
 spent their strength, being so weak that they can 
 rise no more, but fall a prey to the fish ; but by 
 much the greater number perish on the waters, 
 which are covered with them : this is the end of 
 the females ; but the males never resort to the 
 rivers, as I could perceive, but after they have 
 done their office, drop down, languish and die 
 under the trees and bushes. I observed that the 
 females were most numerous, which was very ne- 
 cessary, considering the many enemies they have 
 during the short time of their appearance, for 
 both birds and fish are very fond of them, and 
 no doubt under the water they are food for small 
 aquatic insects. What is further remarkable in 
 this surprising creature is, that in a life of a few 
 days it eats nothing, seems to have no apparatus 
 for that purpose, but brings up with it, out of the 
 water, sufficient support to enable it to shed its 
 skin, and to perform the principal end of life 
 with great vivacity. The particular time when I 
 observed them very numerous and sportive, was 
 on the C 2(kh of May, at six o'clock in the even- 
 ing. It was a sight very surprising and entertain- 
 ing, to see the rivers teeming with innumerable 
 pretty, nimble, Hying insects, and almost every 
 thing near covered with them. When I looked 
 up into the air it was full of them, as high as I 
 could discern ; and being so thick aud always in 
 motion, they made almost such an appearance as 
 when one looks up, and seen the snow coining 
 down ; aud yet this wonderful appearance, iu 
 three or four days after the lust of May, totally 
 disappeared."
 
 40 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 HAWTHORN-FLY 
 
 Found on every hawthorn-bush when the leaves 
 come forth. It is used for dibbing, in some rivers, 
 for trouts. 
 
 GREAT MOTH, 
 
 Found, when there is a little breeze, in summer- 
 evenings, in gardens, has a great head, not unlike 
 an owl, whitish wings and yellowish body. The 
 chub takes this exceedingly well. 
 
 BLACK BEE OR HUMBLE BEE, 
 
 Found in clay walls, and is an excellent bait for 
 the chub. Some cut off his legs and upper wings. 
 
 N. B. The reader will find the peculiar method 
 of dibbing for chub under the description of that 
 fish. 
 
 JIULES AND BINTS TO BE OBSERVED IN ANGLING. 
 
 1st. Every brother angler should be possessed 
 of a great deal of patience and resignation, and 
 not be cast down with bad luck, or be elated with 
 good ; for the same success cannot always attend 
 him. 
 
 2d. Never angle in glaring colors, for they are 
 the easiest to be discerned by the fishes : always 
 turn out early in the morning, for that is the best 
 time of the day : keep your tackle always neat, 
 and let your baits be in the highest perfection. 
 
 3d. When you angle, shelter yourself as much
 
 RULES AND HINTS IN ANGLING. 41 
 
 as possible from the sight of the fishes, for they 
 are timorous and easily frightened; and when 
 you angle for trout, you never need make above 
 one or two trials for him in the same place, for 
 he will in that time either take the bait or let it 
 alone. 
 
 4th. When the nights prove dark, cloudy, or 
 windy, you will the next day have but little sport 
 in respect to catching large fishes, especially 
 trouts; for in those nights they range about and 
 devour small fishes ; but if the nights are bright, 
 and the moon and stars are out, and the days fol- 
 lowing should be overcast, dark, and gloomy, you 
 may depend on having good sport ; for fishes are 
 then as timorous as in sun-shiny days, and never 
 stir from their holds : therefore, having abstained 
 from food all night, they are hungry and eager, 
 and being encouraged by the darkness and gloom- 
 iness of the day to range about, they then bite 
 boldly and eagerly. 
 
 5th. If you wish to know what ground-bait 
 fishes like best, the first you take open his stomach, 
 and there you will find what he fed on last, and 
 bait accordingly. 
 
 6th. If, before you go out to angle, you should 
 imagine, by the looks of the weather, that it will 
 prove showery or thunder, always take three or 
 four night-lines out with you, and whilst you an- 
 gle for other fish, lay them in according to your 
 judgment, baited with well-scoured lob-worms, 
 and you may depend on catching large eels, 
 trout, &c. 
 
 7th. The best way to bait your hook, for this 
 
 kind of fishing, or for worm-fishing in general, 
 
 either with lob-worms, brandlings, &c. is thus : it 
 
 you bait with one worm, put your hook into him 
 
 E 2
 
 42 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 somewhat above the middle, and out again a lit- 
 tle below the middle ; having so done, draw your 
 worm above the arming of your hook : but note, 
 you must enter the hook at the tail of the worm, 
 and not at the head ; then, having drawn him 
 above the arming of your hook before-mentioned, 
 put the point of your hook again into the very 
 head of the worm, till it come near the place 
 where the point of the hook first came out, and 
 then draw back that part of the worm that was 
 above the shank or arming of yonr hook : if you 
 fish with two worms, then put the second on be- 
 fore you turn back the hook on the first worm. 
 
 8th. If when you are angling in any particular 
 spot, and have had good sport, the fishes should 
 suddenly leave off biting, you may conclude that 
 some of the fish of prey are come to the part you 
 are fishing in ; therefore put a minnow on your 
 hook alive, sticking it through his upper lip, or 
 back-fin : let your tackle be strong, in case the 
 pike should be there, but for a certainty you may 
 depend that either he or the perch will take it : 
 but the best way is to have a trimmer or two with 
 you, which may be applied with great advantage 
 whilst you angle for other fish. 
 
 9th. When you have struck a good fish, keep 
 your rod bent, which will prevent him from run- 
 ning to the end of the line, whereby he might 
 break his hold. 
 
 10th. In ponds, angle near the fords where 
 cattle go to drink : and in rivers, angle for breams 
 in the deepest and quietest parts : tor eels under 
 trees hanging over banks ; for chubs in deep 
 shaded holes ; for perches in scours ; for roaches, 
 in winter in the deeps, at all other times where you 
 angle for perches ; and for trouts in quick streams*
 
 RULES AND HINTS IN ANGLING. 43 
 
 llth. ft is good angling in whirlpools, under 
 bridges, at the falls of mills, and in any place 
 where the water is deep and clear, and not dis- 
 turbed with wind or weather ; also, at the open- 
 ing of sluices, and mill-dams; and if you go with 
 the course of the water, you will hardly miss 
 catching fishes that swim up the stream to seek 
 what food the water brings down witli it. 
 
 12th. When you fish for roach, dace, &c. in a 
 stream, cast your ground-bait above your hook, 
 and always remember to plumb your ground. 
 
 13th. Never trust the strength of your rod or 
 line when you have hooked a good fish, but al- 
 ways use your landing-net. 
 
 14th. If the joints of your rod, through wet, 
 should stick so that you cannot easily get them 
 asunder, never use force, for then you will strain 
 your rod ; but turn the ferule of the joint that is 
 fast a few times over the flame of a candle, and it 
 will separate. 
 
 15th. The best times for angling are from April 
 to October, and the best time of the day from 
 three till nine in the morning, and three in the 
 evening till sun-set. The south wind is the best 
 to angle inj, the next best point to that is the 
 west: the cooler these blow in the hottest months 
 is the best time to fish. 
 
 16th. Never angle in an easterly wind, for your 
 labour will be in vain ; but you may if the wind 
 blows from any other point, provided not too 
 sharply. Tishes will never bite before a shower of 
 rain : this hint may save you many a wet skin.* 
 
 17th. In the morning, if there happens to be a 
 hoar frost, either in the spring or advancing of 
 
 Vide the Prognostics. 
 
 E a
 
 44 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the season, fishes will not bite that day, except in 
 the evening ; and after they have spawned, very 
 ill, till with grass and weeds they have scoured 
 themselves, and by that means recovered their 
 appetite. 
 
 18th. The best time for the trout to be taken, 
 and other fishes with the ground-line, is morning 
 and evening, in clear weather and water ; but if 
 the day proves cloudy or the water muddy, you 
 may angle all day long. 
 
 19th. The angler may depend on catching store 
 of fishes in a dark, close, gloomy, or lowering 
 day, if the wind be southerly, and when, as the 
 poet observes, 
 
 The stealing shower is scarce to palter heard, 
 By such as wander thro' the forest walks, 
 Beneath th' umbrageous multitude of leaves." 
 
 Having given the reader every necessary in- 
 struction in regard to the breeding and feeding of 
 fishes ; with the best advice concerning his rods, 
 lines, floats, hooks, baits, &c. ; and a et of very 
 choice rules, hints, and cautions, I shall now tell 
 him the best methods of taking the fishes in ge- 
 neral angled for in England and Wafcs.
 
 FISH IN ENGLAND AND VALES. 45 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 A Description of the Fish generally angled for in 
 England and Wales ; with the proper Times and 
 Seasons to fish for them^ their peculiar Haunts^ 
 spawning Time 7 and most killing Baits, Sfc. ' 
 
 THE salmon, according to the opinion of some,, 
 breeds in the sea ; but that of others seems 
 better warranted, that he breeds in the clear, sandy 
 parts of rivers, not far from the mouths thereof. 
 They commonly spawn in October, and the young 
 become samlets the following year, and in a few 
 months a large salmon. They spawn in some ri- 
 vers in September, but in the Severn in May. 
 The milter and spawner having performed their 
 office, betake to the sea ; and we are told, that 
 when they have been obstructed in their passage, 
 they have grown so impatient, that, clapping their 
 tails to their mouths, with a sudden spring, they 
 have leaped clear over wears and other obstacles 
 which stood in their, way, and some, by leaping 
 short, have by that means been taken. If they 
 happen to meet with such impediments that they 
 cannot get to sea, they become sick, lean, and pine 
 away, and die in two years. The principal occa- 
 sion of their dying is this : the salmon beipg a 
 fish by nature tender and very chill, cannot, in 
 the winter-season, endure the extreme frigidity of
 
 46 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the fresh river-water, by reason of its tenuity, es- 
 pecially being so lately weakened by spawning ; 
 and therefore, by instinct, they make the sea their 
 winter habitation, the sea being naturally warm : 
 but if they spawn in the mean time, from thence 
 proceeds a small salmon, called a skegger, which 
 never grows large. The female salmon is distin- 
 guished from the male, because its nose is longer 
 and more hooked, its scales not so bright, and its 
 body speckled over with dark brown spots, it's 
 belly flatter, and its flesh not so red, more dry, and 
 less delicious to the taste. 
 
 The principal rivers in England for salmon are, 
 1st, the Thames, whose salmon beats all others 
 for taste and flavour ; the Severn and the Trent ; 
 the Lon, at Lancaster, about Cockersand Abbey ; 
 at Workington in Cumberland ; Bywell in Nor- 
 thumberland, Durham, and Newcastle on Tyne ; 
 the Dee in Cheshire ; and the rivers Usk and Wye 
 in Monmouthshire. Besides the salmon-leap in 
 the river Tivy in Pembrokeshire, there is another 
 in the river Ban in Ireland : this river is in the 
 mountains of Mourn in the county of Down, and 
 it passes through Lough Eaugh, or Lough Sidney, 
 a large lake in the county of Coleraine. Mr. 
 Cambden says, it breeds salmons in abundance, 
 above all other rivers in Europe, because it is 
 thought to exceed all others for clearness, in 
 which sort of water salmons delight. He bites 
 best about three in the afternoon, in May, June, 
 July, and August, if the water be clear, and a lit- 
 tle breeze of wind stirring, especially if the wind 
 and stream be contrary. You must fish for him 
 like a trout, with a worm, fly, or minnow, or lob- 
 worm is an excellent bait for him, well scoured in 
 moss, which makes him tough, clear, and lively-
 
 FISH IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 47 
 
 When you have struck him, he will plunge and 
 bounce in the water very much, therefore it is ne- 
 cessary to have a strong rod, ringed the same as a 
 trowling-rod, arid a winch with a strong line on it 
 forty yards long, with which length, and a proper 
 playing him, you may kill the largest-sized one. 
 He has not a constant residence like a trout, hut 
 removes often, and you should always angle for 
 him as near the spring-head as possible, in the deep- 
 est and broadest parts of the river, near the ground. 
 Put two large lob-worms on at a time, and you 
 may fish without a float, that is, with a running 
 line. Let one yard next to your hook be gimp, and 
 your hook a proper-sized salmon-hook, No. 1. 
 
 N. B. When I come to treat of fly-fishing, the 
 proper flies for the salmon, ficc. will be clearly 
 expressed. 
 
 THE TROUT. 
 
 The trout is a delicious fresh-water fish, speck- 
 led with red and yellow, coming in and going 
 out of season with the buck, and spawning in the 
 cold months of October and November, whereas? 
 all other fishes spawn in the hot summer months. 
 There are several species of this fish, all valued 
 very much ; but the best are the red and yellow, 
 and of these the female, distinguished by a less 
 head and deeper body, is preferred : by the large- 
 ness of their backs you may know when they are 
 in season, which may serve as a rule for all other 
 fishes. All winter long, they are sick, lean, and 
 unwholesome, and frequently lousy. As the 
 spring advances, deserting the still, deep waters, 
 they repair to the gravelly ground against which 
 they continue to rub, till they have got rid of their
 
 48 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 lice, which are a kind of worm, with large heads ; 
 from that time they delight to be in sharp streams, 
 and such as are very swift, where they lie in wait 
 for minnows, may-flies, &e. The latter part of 
 May they are in the highest perfection. He is 
 usually caught with a worm, minnow, or fly, either 
 natural or artificial. The different baits for him 
 are th earth-worm, dung-worm, and the maggot 
 or gentle, but the best are the lob-worm and 
 brandling. His haunts are purling brooks, run- 
 ning very swift over chalk-stones, gravel, &c. He 
 is oftener taken in the side of the stream than in 
 it, though the large ones are often caught in the 
 deepest part of it. He delights to shelter himself 
 behind large stones, or small banks that hang over 
 the river, which the stream running against cre- 
 ates a foam; also in the eddies between two 
 streams. His hold is usually under the roots of 
 trees, and in hollow banks in the deepest parts of 
 rivers. When you angle for him at the ground, 
 let the link of your line next the hook be the best 
 silk-worm gut you can provide ; and have a nice 
 elastic rod, which will enable you to strike true, 
 and to feel him when he bites. Angle for him 
 with a running line, and begin at the upper part 
 of the stream, carrying your line with an upright 
 hand, and feeling your lead run on the ground 
 about ten inches from the hook, leading your 
 line according to the swiftness of the stream, as 
 before directed. If you bait either with one or 
 two worms, follow the manner of baiting them 
 which I have laid down in the rules, and you will 
 run on the ground without being entangled. 
 
 There is a very killing method likewise for a 
 large trout : make a pair of wings of the feather 
 of a land-rail, and point your hook with one or
 
 THE TROUT. 49 
 
 more cadis : your hook should be bristled, that 
 is, when you whip on your hook, fasten a hog's 
 bristle under the silk, with the end standing out 
 about a straw's breadth, at the head of the hook, 
 from under the silk, and pointing towards the line, 
 by which means the head of the cadis will be 
 kept close to the wings. Angle with a rod about 
 five yards long, and a line about three : cast the 
 wings and cadis up the stream, which will drive 
 it down under the water towards the lower part 
 of the hole ; then draw it up the stream very 
 gently, though irregularly, at the same time shak- 
 ing your rod, and in a few casts you will be sure 
 to hook him, if there is one in the hole. You 
 may angle the same way with two brandlings. 
 If you use two cadis with the wings, run your 
 hook in at the head and out at the neck of the first, 
 and quite through the other from head to tail. 
 
 The minnow is the most excellent of all baits 
 for the trout ; when you fish with one, chuse the 
 whitest, and middle-sized ones, these being the 
 best ; and you must place him on your hook in 
 such a manner, that being drawn against the 
 stream he may turn round. The best way of 
 baiting with a minnow is thus : put your hook in 
 at his mouth, and out at his gill, drawing it 
 through about three inches : then put the hook 
 again into his mouth, and let the point and beard 
 come out at his tail ; then tie the hook and his 
 tail about with a fine white thread, and let the body 
 of the minnow be almost straighten the hook; 
 then try if it turns well, which it cannot do too 
 fast. Angle with the point of your rod down the 
 stream, drawing the minnow up the stream by 
 little and little, near the top of the water. When 
 the trout sees the bait, he will come most fiercely
 
 50 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 at it, but be careful not to snatch it away, which 
 at first you may be apt to do ; and never strike 
 till he has turned with the bait. 
 
 N. B. In this way of angling, a ringed rod is 
 to be always used, with a winch for your line, 
 which should have two or three swivels on it; 
 by which means the minnow will spin the better. 
 
 The rivers most famous for trout are, the Ken- 
 net near Hungerford, in Berkshire ; the Stower, in 
 Kent, which runs through Canterbury, and is said 
 to breed the best trouts in the south-east of Eng- 
 land ; those in the Wandle, near Cashelton, in 
 Sum* ; the Amcrly, in Sussex ; the Dove, Wye, 
 Lath kin, and Bradford, in Derbyshire ; Kibble and 
 Irk, in Lancashire; and in the Usk and Wye, in 
 Monmouthshire, are accounted excellent trouts ; 
 Imt to speak impartially, no one can absolutely 
 determine in what particular river or brook are 
 the most and best trouts. This, however, is cer- 
 tain, that trouts are better or worse, bigger or 
 less, according to the nature of the soil on which 
 the river runs : pure, clear, transparent streams, 
 running on rocks, pebbles, or more especially 
 lime-stones or flints, are experimentally found to 
 breed, and afford the most delicate and best trouts. 
 The hook No. 2 or 3. 
 
 7J/ GR4GLING, G'RAYLJJfGj OR U31BER,* 
 
 This fish has three different names given it, 
 according to the different parts of England where 
 it is found ; he is by no means a general fish, and 
 what anglers seldom meet with, except in the 
 rivers Dove and Trent, and some other small 
 
 * He is called Umber from his quickness of evading the sigbt.
 
 THE CARP. 51 
 
 streams, particularly in that which runs by Salis- 
 bury. The haunts of the grayling are nearly the 
 same of the trout ; and in fishing for either of 
 them, you may catch both. They spawn in the 
 beginning of April, when they lie mostly in sharp 
 streams : in December he is in his prime, at 
 which time his gills and head are blackish, and j, 
 his belly dark grey, studded with black spots. 
 He bites very freely, but is often lost when struck, * 
 his mouth being vj?ry tender. Angle for him 
 about mid-water, he being much more apt to rise 
 than descend ; and when you angle for him alone, 
 and nt for the trout also, use a quill float, with 
 the bait about six or seven inches from the ground. 
 He takes brandlings, gilt-tails, meadow-worms, 
 gentles, &c. but the most excellent bait for him 
 in March or April is the tag-tail. 
 ThehpokNo. 10. 
 
 THE CARV. 
 
 The carp is allowed to be the queen of fresh- 
 water fishes, as the salmon is the king ; and lives 
 longer than any other fish, except the eel, out of 
 its element. They breed several times in one 
 year; but their first spawning-time is in May. 
 Mr. Ray assures us, that in Holland they have a 
 speedy way of fattening them, by hanging them 
 up in a net in a cellar, and feeding them with 
 bread and milk. Patience is highly necessary for 
 every one to be endowed with who angles for 
 carps, on account of their sagacity and cunning : 
 their haunts are in the deepest parts of ponds and 
 rivers, and in the latter where .the streams run 
 slow. When the weather in April, May, June, 
 July, and August, is hot and fine, you cannot be
 
 52 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 too early or late at the sporl. He seldom refuses 
 the red worm in April, the cadis in May, or the 
 grasshopper in June, July, and August. You 
 must angle for him with a strong rod and line, a 
 quill float, and strong gut at the bottom ; the hook 
 in the medium of size : being a leather-mouthed 
 fish, he seldom breaks his hold, if your tackle is 
 strong and you play him properly. But when- 
 ever you intend to fish for him particularly, and 
 in good earnest, over night lay in a ground-bait 
 of garbage ; as chickens' guts, blood mixed with 
 cow-dung, or any coarse paste; also ale-grains 
 and blood incorporated with clay ; and at the 
 same time that you throw any of the ground- 
 baits in, plumb the ground to two depths (for it 
 Is best to angle for carps with two rods), one 
 about mid-water, the other four or five inches 
 Aom the ground. The next morning lay your 
 lines in very cautiously, and success will attend 
 you. Gentles are very good baits for the carp, 
 also a paste made of honey and bread, and one 
 made with bread and water alone, tinctured with 
 red lead ; but nothing, in my opinion, beats a 
 green pea, parboiled, having killed more with 
 that than any other bait. 
 
 A carp, weighing fifteen pounds seven ounces, 
 was some "time back taken out of the water in 
 Lord Exeter's grounds at Burghley. 
 
 In the Swiss and Italian lakes, it is far from 
 rare to catch trouts that are double that size. 
 The hooks for this fish No. 3 or 4. 
 
 In fine sun-shiny days, carps will often prime 
 about noon, and swim about the edges of a pond 
 to catch such flies as fall upon the surface of the 
 water : let the angler then take a strong rod, and 
 pliable at the top, a strong line, and a hook large
 
 THE BREAM. 53 
 
 enough for a lob-worm : then finding a place free 
 from weeds, ahout the compass of the crown of a 
 hat, let Uitn drop his hait without a float, and 
 with only one large shot upon the line, which he 
 must lodge upon the leaf of some adjoining weed, 
 so that the bait may not be above eight inches in 
 the water ; then retiring, but so as to keep his 
 eye upon the shot, let him wait till he sees it 
 taken away, with about a foot of the line, and 
 then strike : when he has hooked his fish, let 
 him keep him tight, and not suffer him to entan- 
 gle himself among the weeds : but either draw 
 Kim out by main force, or pull him into a clear 
 place. 
 
 N. B. The foregoing method is an excellent 
 one, and great numbers of carp may be taken by 
 it in ponds that are well stocked. 
 
 THE BREAM. 
 
 The time of the bream's spawning is in June : 
 his chief residence is in ponds : he is a bony fish, 
 and very slow of growth. From St. ' Janies's tide 
 to Bartholomew tide is the best time to angle for 
 him, and the best time of the day in that season 
 is from sun-rise to eight o'clock, in a gentle 
 stream, the water being rather thick and curled 
 with a good breeze. He delights in the deepest 
 and widest parts of the water, and if the bottom is 
 clear and sandy it is the better. His baits are 
 gentles, red-worms, gilt-tails, and grasshoppers : 
 when he takes your bait he makes for the oppo- 
 site shore, therefore give him play, for though he 
 is a strong-made fish, he will not struggle much, 
 but two or three times fall on one side, and you 
 may land him very easily. Angle for him with a
 
 54 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 strong line, with gut at bottom, the hook No. 4 ; 
 and throw in the place you intend to angle for 
 him, a ground-bait made of malt, grains, bran, 
 blood, and clay, the night before ; and you may 
 fish with two or three lines, plumbed to different 
 depths, and follow the method which is laid down 
 for the carp. 
 
 The French esteem this fish highly, and have 
 this proverb concerning him, that he who has 
 breams in his pond, is able to bid his friend welcome* 
 The best part of a bream is his belly and head. 
 
 THE PIKE. 
 
 The pike is a very long-lived fish, according to 
 Lord Bacon and Gesner, who say he out-lives all 
 others. He is called the tyrant of the waters, and 
 will almost seize upon anything, nay unnaturally 
 devour his own kind. He spawns in February or 
 March : the best pike are those that are found in 
 rivers, those in ponds are not near so good : the 
 larger he is, the coarser the food, and so vice versa. 
 He feeds on small fishes and frogs, and on a weed 
 called pickerel, from which some asseit he derives 
 his being : he is a solitary, melancholy, and bold 
 fish, always being by himself, and never swim- 
 ming in shoals, or in company with other fishes. 
 There are two ways of angling for the pike, by 
 the ledger-bait and the walking-bait. First, the 
 ledger-bait is that fixed in one certain place, and 
 which the angler may leave, and angle for other 
 fish : of this kind, the best is some living bait, as a 
 dace, gudgeon, roach, or live frog. To apply it, 
 if a fish, stick the hook through his upper lip, or 
 back-fin, then fastening it to a strong line, ten or 
 twelve yards long, tie the other end to some stake
 
 THE PIKE. 55 
 
 in the ground, or stump of a tree, near the pike's 
 haunt, letting the line pass over the fork of a 
 stick placed for that purpose, and suspending the 
 hook by a yard of the line in the water ; but so 
 as when the pike bites the fork may give way, 
 and let him have line enough to go to his hold 
 and pouch the bait. If you bait with a frog, put 
 the arming-wire in at his mouth, and out at his 
 gill ; then tie the frog's leg above the upper joint 
 to the armed wire. Secondly, the walking-bait 
 is that which the fisher attends to himself, and is 
 called trowling, from the French of trollcr, to 
 move or walk about. Before I proceed any fur- 
 ther in this mode of angling for the pike, I shall 
 give the angler a description of that kind of rod, 
 line, and hooks necessary to be used. Your rod 
 must be a strong one, and ringed for the line to 
 pass through, and about three yards and a hail' 
 long ; your line, about thirty yards long, wound 
 upon a winch, to be placet! on the butt end of 
 your rod, and with which you may always keep 
 your Jine to any length ; at the end of your 
 line next your hook let there be a swivel. The 
 hooks that are most general are the two follow- 
 ing ones : they are formed and baited in this man- 
 ner. The first is no more than two single hooks 
 (though you may buy them made of one piece of 
 wire) tied back to back, with a strong piece of 
 gimp between the shanks; in whipping the gimp 
 and hooks together, make a small loop, and take 
 into it two links of chain, about an eighth of 
 an inch diameter; and in the lower link (by 
 means of a staple of wire) fasten by the greater 
 end a bit of lead, of a conical figure, and angular 
 at the point. The second hook may be either 
 single or double, with a long shank, and leaded
 
 56 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 two inches up the wire with a piece of lead 
 about a quarter of an inch square ; at the greater, 
 or^ower end fix to the shank an armed wire about 
 four inches long, and at the top of the wire, about 
 half a yard of gimp, with a loop at the top of 
 that ; to bait this hook you must have a. brass 
 needle about seven inches long; put the loop of 
 the gimp on the eye, or small curve of the needle, 
 then thrust it into the mouth of the fish, and bring 
 it out at his tail, drawing the gimp and wire along 
 with it till the lead is fixed in the belly of the 
 bait-fish, and the hook or hooks are come to his 
 mouth ; then turn the points of the hooks towards 
 his eyes, if a double hook, but if a single one, di- 
 rectly in a line with his belly, and tie his tail to 
 the arming-wire very neatly, with white thread : 
 I always, whether the hook be double or single, 
 put a small piece of a worm on the point or 
 points of it ; which prevents their pricking 
 the pike, for if it does he will instantly leave 
 it. To bait the former, put the lead into the 
 mouth of the bait-fish, and sew it up, the fish 
 will live some time ; and though the weight of the 
 lead will keep his head downwards, he will swim 
 with nearly the same ease as if at liberty. Either 
 of the former hooks being baited and fastened to 
 the swivel, cast it into the water, and keep it in 
 constant motion, sometimes letting it sink and 
 at others raising it gradually, chiefly throwing it 
 into the parts of the pond, meer, or river, where 
 his haunts are most usual ; as near banks, under 
 stumps of trees, by the side of bulrushes, water- 
 doeks, weeds, or bushes ; but in any of these places 
 you need never make above a trial or two for him r 
 for if he is there he will instantly seize the bait. 
 When you draw your bait near the bank, play it
 
 THE PIKE. 57 
 
 longer there, first deep, then raise it higher and 
 higher by degrees, till you bring it so near the top 
 that you can see it glitter ; take it not hastily out, 
 because he often takes it near the top. When 
 he has taken it, give him line, and let him run to 
 his hold and pouch it ; allow him in general five 
 minutes' law, then strike him, and divert yourself 
 with him as you please. But if after he has run 
 on with the bait to his hold, and rests there but 
 about a minute, and then runs quickly off with 
 it again, do not strike him until he has rested a 
 second time ; and not then until the five minutes 
 are expired, unless he runs off again before they 
 are ; which if he does, draw a tight line and strike 
 him immediately ; if he resists very much, give 
 him line enough, which will soon exhaust his 
 strength ; and when you pull him towards you, 
 do not do it violently ; for if you do he will launch 
 and plunge in such a manner, that though he may 
 not be able to break your tackle, yet he will tear 
 away his hold, nay even his entrails if he is 
 hooked there ; but if you feel him come easily 
 towards you, wind up your line until you see him ; 
 then if he struggles again very much, give him 
 line again, and so proceed till you have killed 
 him : by following which methods you will soon 
 accomplish. The pike bites best from the middle 
 of summer to the end of autumn, about three in 
 the afternoon, in clear water, ruffled with a gen- 
 tle gale, but in winter all day long; and in the 
 spring he bites early in the morning and late in 
 the evening. The best baits for him are small 
 roaches, daces, bleaks, &c. if the day be dark and 
 cloudy ; but a gudgeon is the best, if the water is 
 clear and the day bright and fine. Your live 
 baits should be kept in a tin kettle, with holes
 
 58 I;I;ST'S AUT OF ANGLING. 
 
 made in the lid that you may change your water 
 often, which will keep them alive a long while ; 
 your dead ones in a tin box made for that purpose, 
 with bran, which dries up the moisture that hangs 
 about them, and contributes to preserve them lon- 
 ger. Angling for the pike at the snap is to let 
 him run a little, and then to strike him the con- 
 trary way from whence he runs, with two strong 
 jerks : in this method you must use a double 
 spring hook, which is to be/ had at any of the 
 shops, and your tackle must be very strong. The 
 snap is best used in March, when they are ^pawn- 
 ing, at which time they are sick and Jose their 
 stomach ; though they will then take your bait, 
 but immediately throw it oat of their mouths : 
 therefore striking them when they first take the 
 bait is the only way to be even with them, which 
 is called angling at snap. The way to bait the 
 snap-hook is thus : make a hole with a sharp pen- 
 knife in the side of the bait-fish ; then put the 
 gimp that is fastened to your hook into it, and 
 draw it out at the mouth, till the spring hook 
 comes to the place where the incision was made ; 
 which when it is, put it into the belly of the fish, 
 then have a piece of lead about the size of a 
 horse-bean, though of an oval form, with a hole 
 through it from end to end large enough for the 
 gimp to go through ; draw it clown to the fish's 
 mouth, then put it in it, and sew it up. Or you 
 may make an incision in the skin only, and draw 
 the gimp out at the bone behind the gills, then 
 enter it again under the gills, and bring it out at 
 the mouth, which I think is the best method, be- 
 cause the hook has only the skin to hinder its fix- 
 ing in the pike, whereas in the first method it 
 must pierce through the flesh and skin before it
 
 THE PIKE. 59 
 
 can touch him, and if it is not very large may 
 hook him so slightly as to spoil all your sport. 
 There used to be a way also of taking a pike 
 called huxing ; but as the use of trimmers is now 
 so generally known, it would be needless for me 
 to insist further upon it. 
 
 I shall now communicate to the reader a me- 
 thod which J have taken more pikes and jacks 
 with than any other way. The hook which you 
 must use is to be like the first hook that I have 
 mentioned, with this exception only, that the lead 
 of a conical figure must be taken away : then, be- 
 fore you fix the swivel on the bottom of the line, 
 put on a cork float that will swim a gudgeon, then 
 put: on your swivel, and fix your hook and gimp 
 to it : put a swan-shot on your gimp, to make 
 your float cock a little, and of such a weight, that 
 when the hook is baited with the gudgeon it may 
 do so properly. Your gudgeons must be kept 
 alive in a tin kettle : take one and stick the hook 
 either through his upper lip or back-fin, and throw 
 him into the likely haunts before-mentioned, 
 swimming at mid-water. When the pike takes it, 
 let him run a little, as at the snap, and then strike 
 him. In this method of pike-fishing you may take 
 three kinds of fish, viz. pikes, perches, and chubs. 
 
 Rules to be observed in trowling : September 
 and October are the best months for trowling, be- 
 cause the weeds are then rotten, and the fishes are 
 fat with the summer's feed. March is the best for 
 the snap, because, as I have said before, they then 
 spawn and are sick, and therefore never bite freely. 
 
 A large bait entices the pike to take it the most, 
 but a small one takes him with greater certainty. 
 
 Always, both at trowl and snap, cut away one 
 of the finsj close at the fins of the bait-fish, and
 
 60 BEST'S AUT OF ANGLING. 
 
 another at the vent on the contrary side, which 
 makes it play better. 
 
 Let no weeds hang on your bait, for if they do 
 the pike will not touch it ; and always throw it 
 into the vater gently. 
 
 When you have a bite, and the fish goes down 
 the stream, it is commonly a small one ; but on 
 the contrary, if he sails slowly upward with the 
 bait, it is a sign of a good one : great fishes in ge- 
 neral bite more calmly than small ones ; for the 
 small ones snatch and run away with the bait with- 
 out any deliberation, but old fishes are more wary. 
 
 Be careful how you take a pike out of the wa- 
 ter, for his bite is venemous ; therefore if you have 
 not a landing-net, put your finger and thumb into 
 his eyes, and take him out that way. 
 
 Both at trowl and snap, always have one or 
 more swivels on the line, which will prevent its 
 kenking, and make it play better in the water. 
 
 Whenever you find your bait-fish water-sopt, 
 change it directly. The hooks for this fish are 
 various. 
 
 THE PERCH. 
 
 The perch is bow-backed like a hog, and armed 
 with stiff gristles, and his sides with dry, thick 
 scales. He is a very bold biter, which appears by 
 his daring to venture upon one of his own kind 
 with more courage than even the ravenous luce. 
 He seldom grows above two feet long, spawns once 
 a year, either in February or March, and bites best 
 in the latter part of the spring. His haunts are 
 chiefly in streams not very deep, under hollow 
 banks, a gravelly bottom, and at the turning of au 
 eddy. If the weather is cool and cloudy, and the
 
 TUT. TENCH. 61 
 
 water a little ruffled, he will bite all day long, es- 
 pecially from eight till ten in the morning, and 
 from three till six in the evening. If there are 
 thirty or forty of them in a hole, they may be all 
 caught of one standing : they are not like the soli- 
 tary pike, but love to accompany one another, and 
 swim in shoals, as all fishes that have scales are 
 observed to do. His baits are minnows, little frogs, 
 or brandling, if well scoured. When he bites, 
 give him time enough, and you can hardly give 
 hi m too much ; for as he is not a leather-mouthed 
 fish, without you do he will often break his hold. 
 Angle for him, if you bait with a brandling, with 
 an indifferent strong line, and gut at bottom, your 
 hook No. 4, o, or 6, and about five or six inches 
 from the ground ; but if you rove for him with a 
 ininnow or frog, which is a very pleasant way, 
 then your line should be strong, and the hook 
 armed with gimp, and the bait swimming at mid- 
 water, suspended by a eork-rloat. I, for my own 
 part, always use my trowl, that in case a pike 
 should take it, I may be prepared for him. Keep 
 your minnows in a tin kettle, and when you bait 
 with one, stick the hook through his upper lip or 
 back fin. If you use the frog, stick it through the 
 skin of his hind leg. These directions being care- 
 fully attended to, 1 dare ensure the angler success. 
 The perch is much esteemed in Italy, especially 
 when small : Gesner prefers the perch and pike 
 before the trout or any fresh fish. The Germans 
 say proverbially, More wholesome than a perch of 
 the Rhine. 
 
 THE TENCH. 
 
 The tench, the fishes' physician, so called be-
 
 62 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 cause its slime is said to be very healing to wound- 
 ed fishes ; and what is more strange, the voracious 
 pike is so sensible of his sovereign virtue, that he 
 will not hurt a tench, although he will seize any 
 other fish of his own size that comes in his way ; 
 and when he or any other fishes are sick, they find 
 relief by rubbing themselves against his body. He 
 is a delicious fresh-water fish, has small scales, yet 
 very large and smooth fins, a red circle about the 
 eyes, and a little barb hanging at each corner of 
 his mouth. His haunts are chiefly in ponds 
 amongst weeds : he thrives very ill in clear wa- 
 ters, and covets to feed in foul ones ; yet his flesh 
 is nourishing and pleasant. They spawn the be- 
 ginning of July : the proper time to angle for them 
 is early and late in the months of May, June, the 
 latter end of July, and in August. You must use a 
 strong line with gut at bottom. The hook No. 2 or 
 3, and a quill float ; the depth about two feet. He 
 bites best at red-worms, if you dip them first in tar ; 
 at all sorts of pastes made up with strong-scented 
 oils, and at one made with the inside of a roll and 
 honey : also at cad-worms, lob-worms, flag-worms, 
 gentles, marsh-worms, and soft-boiled bread- 
 grain. Besides the river Stour in Dorsetshire, so 
 particularly recommended for plenty of tench and 
 eels, there is Brecknock mere, in Brecknockshire, 
 being two miles in length and as much in breadth, 
 full of perches, tenches, and eels. 
 
 N. B. One river tench is worth ten pond. 
 
 THE FLOUNDER. 
 
 The flounder may be fished for all day, either in 
 swift streams or in the still deep, but best in the 
 stream, in the months of April, May, June, and
 
 THE CHUB. 63 
 
 July. Your line must be a single-haired one, with 
 n small float, and the hook, No. 6 or 7- Let your 
 bait touch the ground, which may be any sort of 
 small worms, wasps, or gentles. He being a fish but 
 seldom taken with the rod and line, to enlarge on 
 the subject would be totally unnecessary. 
 
 THE Ctfl/B.* 
 
 The chub is a fish by no means in very much 
 esteem, his flesh being very coarse, and full of small 
 bones ; yet he affords good sport to the angler, es- 
 pecially to a Tyro in that art. They spawn about 
 the beginning of April; and their haunts are chiefly 
 in large rivers, having clayey or sandy bottoms, in 
 holes shaded with trees ; where many of them in 
 general keep together. He bites best from sun- 
 rising till eight, and from three till sun-set. In 
 March and April you must angle for the chub with 
 worms; in June and July with flies, snails, and 
 cherries ; but in August and September use a paste 
 made of Parmesan or Holland cheese, pounded in 
 a mortar, with a little butter, and a small quantity 
 of saffron put to it to make it of a yellow colour. 
 In the winter, when the chub is in his prime, a 
 paste made of Cheshire cheese and turpentine is 
 very good, but no bait more killing for him than 
 the pith of an ox or cow's back-bone; you must 
 take the tough outward skin oft' very carefully, but 
 take particular care that you do not bruise the in- 
 ward skin : also the brains of. the above animals 
 are excellent for him. Let your line be very strong, 
 with a quill float on it, strong gut at bottom, the 
 hook No. 3 or 4, the depth, in hot weather, mid- 
 
 * Pia lines are used for this fish. 
 G
 
 64 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 water, in coldish near the bottom, and in quite cold 
 weather on the ground. The most pleasant way of 
 taking him is by dibbing, which is thus performed : 
 in a hot summer's day, go to any hole that you 
 know they haunt, and you will find perhaps thirty 
 or forty of them basking themselves on the surface 
 of the water : then take your rod, which must be 
 very strong and long, your line the same, but about 
 a yard in length, and bait the hook with a grass- 
 hopper. You must shelter yourself behind some 
 bush or stump of a tree, so as not to be seen ; for 
 the chub is very timorous, and the least shadow 
 will make him sink to the bottom, though he will 
 soon rise again : having therefore fixed your eye 
 upon the largest and best, drop your bait with great 
 caution before him, and he will instantly take it, 
 and be held fast; for he is a leather-mouthed fish, 
 and seldom breaks hold if played properly. 
 
 N. B. In dibbing where you cannot get a grass- 
 hopper, any fly, beetle, or moth, will equally an- 
 swer the purpose. 
 
 When you are roving for perch with a minnow, 
 you will often take large chub. 
 
 THE BJJIBEL. 
 
 The barbel, so called on account of the barb or 
 beard that is under his nose or chops, is a leather- 
 mouthed fish ; and though he seldom breaks his 
 hold when hooked, yet if he proves a large one he 
 often breaks both rod and line. The male is es- 
 teemed much better than the female, but neither 
 of them are very extraordinary. They swim in 
 great shoals, and are at the worst in April, at which 
 time they spawn, but soon come into season again. 
 The places they chiefly resort to are such as are
 
 THE BARBEL. 65 
 
 weedy, gravelly, rising grounds, in which this fish 
 is said to dig, and rout his nose like a swine. In 
 the summer he frequents the strongest and swiftest 
 currents of water, as under deep bridges, wears, &c. 
 and is apt to settle himself amongst the piles, hol- 
 low places, and in moss and weeds. In the autumn 
 he retires into the deeps, where he remains all the 
 winter and beginning of the spring. The best baits 
 for him are salmon-spawn, lob-worms, gentles, bits 
 of cheese wrapt up in a wet linen rag to make them 
 tough, or steeped in honey for twenty-four hours, 
 and greaves : observe that the sweeter and cleaner 
 vour baits are kept, the more eager he takes them. 
 You cannot bait the ground for him too much, 
 when you angle for him with any kind of garbage : 
 as lob-worms cut in pieces, malt and grains incor- 
 porated with blood and clay, &c. The earlier and 
 later you fish for him in the months of June, July, 
 and August the better. Your rod and line must 
 be very strong: the former ringed, and the latter 
 must have gimp at the bottom, but I think twisted 
 gut is better. A running plummet must be placed 
 on your line, which is a bullet* with a hole through 
 it : place a large shot a foot above the hook, to 
 prevent the bullet falling on it. The worm will of 
 courss be at the bottom, for no float is to be used, 
 and when the barbel takes the bait, the bullet will 
 lay on the ground and not choak him. By the 
 bending of your rods you will know when he bites, 
 and also with your hands will feel him give a strong 
 snatch : then strike him, and he will be your own 
 if you play him well ; but if you do not manage 
 him with dexterity, he will break your tackle. 
 
 * I have found lately that the flat plummet is much better, 
 G 2
 
 66 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 You must have on your rod a winch, and a line 
 on it about thirty yards long. 
 
 The most famous places near London for bar- 
 bel-angling are Kingston-bridge and Shepperton- 
 deeps ; but Walton-deeps, Chertsey-bridge, 
 Hampton-ferry, and the holes under Cooper's 
 hill, are in no wise inferior. You may likewise 
 meet with them at all the locks between Maiden- 
 head and Oxford. 
 
 N. B. Their spawn acts as a violent cathartic 
 and emetic. His liver is likewise unwholesome. 
 The hooks for this fish, No. 1 or 2. 
 
 THE EEL. 
 
 Authors of natural history, in regard to the eel, 
 have advanced various conjectures; and in some 
 measure have contradicted each other entirely on 
 this head ; namely, whether they are produced by 
 generation or corruption, as worms are, or by cer- 
 tain glutinous drops of dew, which falling in May 
 and June, on the banks of some ponds or rivers, are 
 by the heat of the sun turned into eels. Abr. My- 
 lius, in a treatise on the origin of animals, describes 
 u method of producing them by art. He says that 
 if he cut up two turfs covered with May-dew, 
 and lay one on the other, the grassy side inwards, 
 and thusexpose them to the heat of the sun, in a 
 few hours there will spring from them an infinite 
 quantity of eels. Eels are distinguished into four 
 kinds, viz. the silver eel ; a greenish eel, called a 
 grey ; a blackish eel, with a broad flat head ; and 
 lastly, an eel with reddish fins. The eel's haunts 
 are chiefly amongst weeds, under roots and stumps 
 of trees, holes, and clefts in the earth, both in the 
 bunks and at bottom, and in the plain mud ; where
 
 THE EEL. 67 
 
 they lay with only their heads out, watching for 
 prey ; also about flood-gates, wears, bridges, and 
 old mills, and in the still waters that are foul and 
 muddy ; but the smallest eels are to be met with in 
 all sorts of rivers and soils. They conceal them- 
 selves in the winter for six months in the mud, and 
 they seldom rove about in the summer in the day- 
 time, but all night long ; at which time you may 
 take a great number of them, by laying in night- 
 lines, fastened here and there to banks, stumps of 
 trees, &c. of a proper length for the depth of the 
 water, leaded so as to lay on the ground, and a pro- 
 per eel-hook whipped on each, baited with the fol- 
 lowing baits, which he delights in, viz. garden- 
 worms, or lobs, minnows, hen's guts, fish-garbage, 
 loaches, small gudgeons, or miner's thumbs, also 
 small roaches, the hook being laid in their mouths. 
 There are two ways to take them in the day- 
 time, called sniggling and bobbing. Sniggling 
 is thus performed : take a strong line, and bait 
 your hook with a large lob-worm, and go to such 
 places above-mentioned, where eels hide them- 
 selves in the day-time : pi-t; the bait gently into 
 the hole by the help of a cleft stick, and if the eel 
 is there he will certainly bite. Let him tire him- 
 self by tugging before you offer to pull him out, 
 or else he will break your line. The other method 
 is called bobbing. In order to perform this, you 
 must scour some large lobs, and with a needle run 
 a twisted silk or worsted through as many of 
 them, from end to end, as will lightly wrap a dozen 
 times round your hand : make them into links, 
 and fasten them to strong packthread or whip- 
 cord, two yards long : then make a knot in the line 
 about six or eight inches from the worms ; after- 
 wards put three quarters of a pound of lead, made 
 G 3
 
 (i8 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 in a pyramidal form, on the cord : the lead must 
 be made hollow three parts of the way up it, and 
 then a hole must he bored through it big enough 
 to put the cord through, and let the lead slide down 
 to the knot. Then fix all to a manageable pole, 
 and use it in muddy water. When the fishes tug, 
 let them have time to fasten, then draw them 
 gently up and hoist them quick to shore. A boat 
 called a punt is very useful in this kind of fishing. 
 Some use an eel-spear to catch eels with, which is 
 an instrument with three or four forks or jagged 
 teeth, which they strike at random into the mud. 
 
 The rivers Stour in Dorsetshire, Ankam in Lin- 
 colnshire, and Irk in Lancashire, are famed by 
 their respective neighbours for very excellent eels. 
 Mr. Pope has celebrated the river Kennet, in Berk- 
 shire, on the same account, in his Windsor Forest. 
 
 The Kennet swift, for silver eels renown'd. 
 
 In Rumsey-mere, in Huntingdonshire, are a 
 great quantity of eels, and large pikes which they 
 call hagets ; but Cambridgeshire boasts of having 
 the most and best eels, if you credit the natives. 
 
 Eel-pouts, another fish somewhat resembling 
 the eel, but more esteemed, are also found in some 
 rivers. Their haunts are the same as the eel's, 
 and they are to be taken in peals of thunder and 
 heavy rain, when they, leave their holes. The best 
 bait is a small gudgeon. Hooks the double or 
 single ones. 
 
 THE ROACH. 
 
 The roach is as foolish as the carp is crafty ; he 
 is by no means a delicate fish : the river-ones are 
 much better than those bred in ponds. They spawn
 
 THE ROACH. 69 
 
 in May, and will bite all day long, if the weather 
 is not in either of the extremes, on the top of the 
 water. Their haunts are chiefly in sandy or gra- 
 velly deep waters, delighting to he in the shade. 
 In April their haits are cads and worms. In sum- 
 mer white snails or flies. In autumn a paste made 
 of fine white bread, moulded in your hands with 
 water, and a little cotton added to it, to keep it 
 from washing off the hook. In winter gentles are 
 the best bait for him. You should fish with a line 
 made of single hairs, a quill-float, and the lead 
 about a foot from the hook ; and when you angle 
 for roach, always cast in a ground-bait, made of 
 bran, clay, and bread, incorporated together ;* 
 and when you angle with 'tender baits, always 
 strike at the least nibble that is apparent. Sprout- 
 ed malt, the young brood of wasps, bees dipt in 
 blood, and the dried blood of sheep, are nostrums 
 in this king of angling. 
 
 The largest roach in this kingdom are taken in 
 the Thames, where many have been caught of two 
 pounds and a half weight; but roach of any size 
 are hard to be taken without a boat. 
 
 The people who live in the fishing-towjStS along 
 the banks of the Thames, have a method of dressing 
 large roach and dace, which, it is said, renders 
 them a very pleasant and savoury food ; it is as 
 follows : without scaling the fish, lay him on a grid- 
 iron, over a slow fire, and strew a little flour on 
 him : when he begins to grow brown, make a slit, 
 not more than skin deep, in his back, from head 
 to tail, and lay him on again. When he is broiled 
 enough, the skin, scales and all, will peel off, and 
 
 * Coarse bran and flour make an excellent ground-bait, but they 
 must not be too much moulded.
 
 70 BEST'S AUT OF ANGLING. 
 
 leave the flesh, which will be by that time very firm 
 and perfectly clean. Open the belly, take out the 
 inside, and use anchovy aud butter tor sauce. 
 
 Red paste is an excellent bait, coloured with ver- 
 inilion or red lead as I have before laid down, but 
 it is best to take with you gentles, white paste, and 
 their other baits, as they are very fond of change, 
 and will refuse one minute what they will take 
 the next. Their hooks No. ! 1 or 12. 
 
 THE DACE OR DARE. 
 
 This fish, and the roach, are much of the same 
 kind, therefore the directions given for one will 
 serve for the other. 'They spawn about the mid- 
 dle of March, and will take any fly, especially the 
 Stonecadew-fly, May-fly, the latter end of April 
 and most part of May ; and the ant-fly in 
 June, July, and August. When you angle for 
 the dace with the ant-fly under water, let it be 
 about two hands' bread ih from the ground. They 
 never refuse a fly in a warm day on the top of the 
 water. The best bait for them in the winter, is 
 the eajth-bob, it is the spawn of the beetle, and 
 is to be found by following the plough in sandy- 
 ish grounds ; put them into a vessel with some 
 of the earth from whence they are taken, and 
 use them all the winter as an excellent bait, as I 
 have before-mentioned in the description of baits. 
 As for your line, &c. the directions given for the 
 roach, will serve in all respects for the dace or 
 dare. 
 
 Dace may be also taken with flesh-flies, upon 
 the surface of the water ; into whose backs, be- 
 tween the wings, you must put your hook, which 
 should be very small : they bite in the morning
 
 THE DACE OR DARE. 71 
 
 and evening ; you must then provide a cane-cod, 
 which is the lightest of any, and let it be seventeen, 
 feet at least in length, and your line which should, 
 from the middle downwards, consist of single-hairs, 
 be a little longer than your rod; then pro vide a suffi- 
 cient quantity of small house-flies, which keep in 
 a phial, stopped with a cork. With these repair, 
 especially about seven or eight o'clock in a sum- 
 mer's evening, to a mill-stream, and having fixed 
 three or four hooks, with single-hair links, not 
 above four inches long to your line, bait them 
 with the flies, and angle upon the surface of the 
 water on the smoothest part, at the end of the 
 stream ; the dace will rise freely, especially if the 
 sun does not shine on that part of the water where 
 you cast the flies, and you may take two or three 
 at a time. This sport will continue as long as 
 day-light will permit you to see the flies. In 
 the same manner dace will also rise at the ant- 
 fly upon the surface of the water, if used in a 
 morning at the foot of a current or mill-stream or 
 on the scour before the sun comes on the water. 
 If the water is high, so as to be almost equal with 
 its banks, take your fly-rod, and fasten to your line 
 an artificial-fly, called the caterpillar-fly, or a small 
 red palmer, then take a large yellow gentle, the yel- 
 lower the better, run the hook through the skin of 
 ;it, and draw it up to the tail of the fly : this being 
 done, whip it on the surface of the water, and if 
 you are diligent and expert, you will have good 
 diversion. If you angle where two mill-streams 
 are going at the same time, let it be in the eddy 
 between the two streams : first make use of your 
 plummet ; if the water is deep, angle within a foot 
 of the bottom, and perhaps you will find but poor 
 .sport; but if it proves to be shallow, that is, about
 
 72 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the depth of two feet, or not exceeding three, 
 your sport may be better; bait your hook with 
 three large gentles, use a cork-float, be very at- 
 tentive, and strike at the very first bite : if there 
 are any large dace in the mill-pool, they will re- 
 sort to the eddy between the two streams. 
 
 N. B. Whenever you fish for roach or dace, at 
 ground, without you use a ground-bait, the at- 
 tempt is almost useless; but after great heats, 
 when the weather gets cool, you will be sure to 
 have good sport. The hooks, JS T o. 11 or 12. 
 
 THE GUDGEON. 
 
 The gudgeon is a fish that affords the young 
 angler an amazing deal of diversion ; being one 
 that bites very free, and when struck is never lost, 
 because he is a leather-mouthed fish. They spawn 
 three or four times in the summer, and their feed- 
 ing is like the barbel's, in the streams and on gra- 
 vel, slighting all manner of flies. Their baits are 
 chiefly wasps, gentles, and cacis, but the small red 
 worm is best. When you angle for them, be pro- 
 vided with a gudgeon -rake, with which rake the 
 ground every ten minutes, which gathers them to- 
 gether. A single-haired line is best, with a quill, 
 or cork-float, according to the rapidity of the 
 stream ; your hook No. 8 or Q, and your bait on 
 the ground. You may angle for him with a run- 
 ning line by hand without a float. 
 
 The author " On jingling in the River Trent" 
 gives us a new method of catching them : he first 
 desires us " never to continue in the water long, 
 though he has been in it for six hours together ;" 
 he then observes, with his usual circumspection, 
 <c that the best way of catching them, is by going
 
 THE POPE AND BLEAK. 73 
 
 into the water, and stirring up the sand and 
 gravel." This surely may be properly termed gud- 
 geon-hunting more than gudgeon-fishing : perhaps 
 they are of a different species in tht, Trent than in 
 the Thames, fyc. &>c. !! 
 
 THE POPE OR RUFF. 
 
 This fish, with a double name, is small, and 
 rarely grows bigger than a gudgeon ; in shape 
 very like the perch, but is better food, being in 
 the taste as pleasant as any fish whatever. His 
 haunts are in the deepest running parts of a gra- 
 velly river, the exact bottom whereof, having 
 found by plumbing, bait your hooks with small 
 red worms, or brandlings ; for you may angle 
 with two or three, and have excellent sport. 
 He bites very greedily ; and as they swim in 
 shoals, you may catch twenty or thirty at one 
 standing, in a cool, gloomy day. Use the same 
 tackle as for the gudgeon. The River Yare in 
 Norfolk, is peculiar for plenty of ruffs. Hook, 
 No. 9. 
 
 THE BLEAK OR BLEY. 
 
 The bleak, on account of its eagerness to catch 
 flies, is called by some the river-swallow, and by 
 others the fresh-water-sprat, because of its resem- 
 blance to the sea-sprat. He bites very eagerly 
 at all sorts of worms, flies, pastes, and sheep's 
 blood. You may fish for him with six or seven 
 small hooks at a time. He is an excellent fish 
 to initiate a young angler in fly-fishing, by his 
 whipping for them in a hot summer's evening, 
 with a small artificial black gnat. Your tackle
 
 74 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 must be fine and neatly formed. He is a capital 
 bait for the pike. Hook, No. 13. 
 
 THE MINNOW OR PJNK. 
 
 The minnow, though one of the smallest fishes, 
 is as excellent a one to eat as any of the most 
 famed. They are generally found in March and 
 April, and remain till the cold weather compels 
 them to retire to their winter-quarters. He is of 
 a greenish, or wavy sky-colour, his belly very 
 white, his back blackish ; and is a most excel- 
 lent bait for any of the fish of prey : namely, the 
 pike, trout, perch, &c. His baits are small 
 red worms, wasps, cads, &c. If you can catch 
 enough of them, they make an excellent tansy, 
 their heads and tails being cut off, and fried in 
 eggs, with a sauce made of butter, sugar, and 
 verjuice. The smallest of hooks. 
 
 TH LOJCH OR LOCH. 
 
 This fish is very small, but eats very well, and 
 is nourishing food for sick persons. He is found 
 in clear, swift brooks and rivulets, and his food 
 is gravel. He is bearded like the barbel, and 
 freckled with black and white spots. You may 
 take him with a small red worm, at ground ; he 
 delights to be near the gravel, therefore is hardly 
 ever seen on the top of the water. The smallest 
 of hooks. 
 
 THE BULL-HEAD OR MILLER'S THUMB. 
 
 This fish, on account of its ugliness, is in s me 
 places called the fresh-water devil ; he has a broad
 
 THE STICKLEBACK AND GUINNIAD. 75 
 
 head and a large mouth, no teeth, but his lip 
 are like a file, -with which he nibbles at the bait. 
 They spawn in April, and are full of spawn most 
 of the summer. Their haunts in summer are 
 chiefly in holes, or amongst stones in clear \yater; 
 but in winter they lay in the mud like the eel. 
 The worst of anglers may take this fish ; for if 
 you look above the water in a hot day, you may 
 see him sunning himself on a flat stone, put your 
 hook upon it, baited with a small red worm, and 
 he will take it directly. The taste of this fish is 
 very good. Hook, No. 13. 
 
 THE STICKLEBACK, SHARPLlUfG) OR BAJfSTJCKLE. 
 
 This fish, with three names, as he is called by 
 in different counties, is a small prickly fish, and 
 not worth the angler's notice, in regard to him- 
 self, but that he is an excellent bait for the trout, 
 who will take it sooner than the minnow. His 
 prickles must be broke off, and baited according 
 to the directions given for baiting the minnow, 
 under the description of the trout. 
 N. B. The tackle, baits, &c. for this fish, and 
 the foregoing ones, must be the same, and very 
 fine. 
 
 There are three fishes which I omitted in the 
 first edition, and what anglers in general seldom 
 meet with, because they are local, and peculiar 
 to certain waters; but as they are held i~\ high 
 estimation where they are taken, I shall describe 
 them for the reader's information. 
 
 ALBULA SALMOKI SIMIL1S THE GVIKfiJAD. 
 
 The guinniad, according to Camden and others, 
 
 H
 
 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 is peculiar to Pemble-Meer in Cheshire. " The 
 river Dee, " says this author, " which runs by 
 Chester, springs in Merionethshire, and it runs 
 towards Chester ; it passes through the said Pem- 
 ble-Meer, which is a large water, and it is ob- 
 served, that though the river Dee abounds with 
 salmon, and Pemble-Meer with guinniad, yet 
 there are never any salmons caught in the Meer, 
 nor any guinniads in the river. 
 
 UMBRA MINOR GESN TTIE RED CHARR, OR WELCH 
 
 The red charr is a fish whose make is longer 
 and more slender than that of a trout, for one of 
 about eight inches long was no more than an inch 
 and a half broad. The back is of a greenish 
 olive spotted with white. The belly, about the 
 breadth of half an inch, is painted with red, in 
 some of a more lively, in others of a paler co- 
 lour, and in some, especially the female, it is 
 quite white. The scales are small, and the lateral 
 lines straight. The mouth is wide, the jaws 
 pretty equal, except the lower, which is a little 
 sharper and more protuberant than the upper. 
 The lower part of the fins are of a vermilion dye. 
 The gills are quadruple, and it has teeth both in 
 the jaws and on the tongue ; in the upper jaw 
 there is a double row of them. The swimming 
 Bladder is like that of a trout; the liver is not 
 divided into lobes ; the gall-bladder is large ; 
 the heart triangular ; the spleen small and black- 
 ish ; and the eggs of the spawn large and round. 
 The flesh is more soft and tender than that of a 
 trout, and when boiled can scarcely be allowed to 
 be red. It is in the highest esteem where known.
 
 THE GUILT OR GILT CHARU. 77 
 
 and in Wales is accounted the chief dish at the 
 tables of people of fashion. 
 
 The chief place in England where this fish i* 
 taken, is Winander-Meer : but in Wales they are 
 to be had in five different places, viz. Llam- 
 berris, Llin-Umber, Festiniog, and Beltus, in 
 Caernarvonshire, and near Casageddor, in Me- 
 rionethshire. In this last county they are smaller 
 than in the former, and are taken in October ; 
 but in Caernarvonshire, in one of the lakes, they 
 are caught in November ; in another in Decem- 
 ber, and in the third in January, and when the 
 fishing in one ends, it begins in another. Dr. 
 Leigh says, the charr, in Coningston-Meer, 
 which is not far from Winander-Meer, are much 
 better, but there are reasons to suppose he was 
 prejudiced in this article. According to Cam- 
 den, the latter Meer is the largest standing-water 
 in this kingdom, being ten miles in length ; and 
 some say it is as smooth at the bottom, as if it 
 was paved with polished marble. They swim to- 
 gether in shoals, and though they appear on the 
 surface of the water in the sumraer-tirae, yet 
 they will not suffer themselves to be taken, either 
 with the angle or with nets ; therefore the only 
 season for fishing, is when they resort to the 
 shallow parts of the lakes to spawn : at these 
 times they set trammel-nets baited, and leave 
 them for whole days and nights, into which the 
 fish enter of their own accord. 
 
 CARP10 LACUS BEKACl THE GUILT OR GILT CHARR. 
 
 The Latin writers called the gilt charr, carpio 
 lacus Benaci, because they imagined it was only 
 to be met with in that particular lake, where it is 
 H 2
 
 78 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 i 
 
 called roetel; but it has since appeared to be the 
 same fish with our gilt charr, which is bred in 
 Winander-Meer, in the county of Westmore- 
 land. It is proportionally broader than the 
 trout, and the belly is more prominent; but its 
 length, when greatest, never exceeds twelve 
 inches : the scales are small, the colour of the 
 back is more lively than that of a trout, and is 
 'beautified with black spots, the belly and sides, 
 beneath the lateral line, are -of a bright silver 
 colour; the skull is transparent, and the snout 
 blueish : it has teeth in the lower jaw, on the 
 palate, and the tongue ; the swimming-bladder 
 is extended the whole length of the back, and 
 the gall-bladder is large. The flesh of the gilt 
 charr is red, and is accounted so very delicious 
 amongst the Italians, that they say it excels all 
 other pond and sea fish whatever; and they 
 esteem the nature of it so wholesome, that they 
 allow sick persons to eat it. 
 
 Some have doubted whether the Welch and 
 -English fish, are of the same kind or not ; but 
 Mr. Ray thinks there is no room to make a doubt 
 of it. The Welch name torgoch, signifies a red 
 belly, which distinguishes the red charr pro- 
 perly enough : the gilt charr is, indeed, quite a 
 different species, and is about twice as small as 
 the red ; the belly of the former is red, the flesh 
 white, and the spots on the back white likewise; 
 whereas the belly of the latter is of a silver co- 
 lour, the flesh red, and the back is spotted with 
 black. 
 
 ' The charr and guinniad never change their so ires, 
 But lire in Winander and Pemble-Meers,'
 
 MAKING FISH-PONDS, STEWS, ETC. 79 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 The most scientific method of making Fish-Ponds^ 
 Stews, Sfc. to which is added several Arcana in 
 the Art of Angling. 
 
 TTT is agreed, that those grounds are best that are 
 JL full of springs, and apt to be moorish : the 
 one breeds them well, and the other preserves 
 them from being stolen. 
 
 The situation of the pond is also to be consi- 
 dered, and the nature of the currents that fall into 
 it; likewise that it be refreshed with a little 
 brook, or with rain-water that falls from the ad- 
 jacent hilly ground. And that those ponds which 
 receive the stale and dung of horses, breed the 
 largest and fattest fishes. 
 
 In making the pond, observe that the head be 
 at the lowest part of the ground ; and the trench 
 of the flood-gate, or sin ice, has a good swift fall, 
 that it may not be long in emptying. 
 
 If the pond carries six feet of water it is enough; 
 but it must be eight feet deep, to receive the 
 freshes and rains that should fall into it. 
 
 It would be also advantageous to have shoals 
 on the sides, for the fishes to sun themselves in, 
 and lay their spawn on ; besides in other places' 
 certain holes, hollow banks, shelves, roots of trees, 
 islands, &c. to serve as their retiring places. Con- 
 sider further, whether your pond be a breeder ; 
 if so, never expect any large carps from thence ; 
 H 3
 
 80 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the greatness of the number of spawn overstock- 
 in<r the pond. 
 
 Mr. Tull, in order to prevent the excessive in- 
 crease of fish in his ponds, first practised castra- 
 tion on them, which made them grow larger than 
 their usual size. But I think the operation pecu- 
 liarly cruel, and the purpose of it only a detesta- 
 ble piece of Apician refinement. 
 
 For large carps a store-pond is ever accounted 
 the best ; and to make a breeding-pond become 
 *, store-pond, see what quantity of carps it will 
 contain : then put in all milters or all spavVners : 
 whereby in a little time you may have carps that 
 are both large and exceedingly fat. Thus by put- 
 ting in one sex, there is an impossibility of the 
 increase of them; yet the roaches, notwithstand- 
 ing this precaution, will multiply. Reserve some 
 great waters for the head quarters of the fishes 
 whence you may take, or wherein you may put, 
 any quantity thereof. And be sure to have stews 
 und other auxiliary waters, so as you may convey 
 any part of the stock from one to the other; so 
 to lose no time in the growth of the fishes, but 
 employ your water as you do your land, to the 
 best advantage. View the grounds, and find out 
 'some fall between the hills, as near a flat as may 
 be, so as to leave a proper current for the water. 
 If there be any difficulty of judging of such, take 
 an opportunity, after some sudden rain, or break- 
 ing up of a great snow in winter, and you will 
 plainly see which way the ground casts, for the 
 water will take the true fall, and run accordingly. 
 The condition of the place must determine the 
 quantity of the ground to be covered with water. 
 For example, I may propose in all fifteen acres in 
 three ponds, or eight acres in two, and not less ;
 
 MAKING FISH-PONDS, STEWS, ETC. 81 
 
 and these ponds should fee placed one above ano-. 
 ther, so ns the point of the lower may almost reach 
 the head or bank of the upper, which contrivance 
 is no less beautiful than advantageous. 
 
 The head, or bank, which by stopping the cur- 
 rent, is to raise the water, and so make a pond, 
 must be built with the clay or earth taken out of 
 the pan or hollow, dug in the lowest ground above 
 the bank : the shape of the pan to be a half oval, 
 whereof the flat to come to the bank, and the 
 longer diameter to run square from it. 
 
 For two large ponds of three or four acres a- 
 piece, it is advisable to have four stews, each two 
 rods wide, and three long. The stews are usually 
 in gardens, or near the house, to be more handy 
 and better looked .to. The method of making 
 them, is to carry the bottom in a continual decline 
 from one end, with a mouth to favour th'e draw- 
 ing them with a net.
 
 THE ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 TO CATCH F1$BE5. 
 
 TAKE Coculus Indicus, which is a poisonous 
 narcotic, called also bacc& piscatoria, fish- 
 er's berries, and pound them in a mortar, then 
 make balls of the paste which will be. produced 
 (by adding a sufficient quantity of water) about 
 the size of a pea, and through them into a stand- 
 ing-water; the fish that taste of it will be very 
 soon intoxicated, and will rise and lie on the sur- 
 face of the water ; put your landing-net under 
 them, and take them out. 
 
 Coculus Indicus is a little berry, about as big as 
 a bay-berry, but more of a kidney-shape, having 
 a wrinkled outside, with a seam running length- 
 ways from the back to the navel : it is of a bitter- 
 ish taste, being the fruit of a tree described in 
 the seventh volume of the Hortus Malabaricus, 
 under the name of Naslatum, bearing leaves in 
 the shape of a heart, and bunches of five-leaved 
 white flowers, which are succeeded by their ber- 
 ries. They grow in Malabar in the East Indies. 
 They are seldom used in physic, being accounted 
 to be of a hurtful and pernicious nature, but their 
 principal use is for catching fishes : the famous 
 Cardan's celebrated receipt for this purpose, 
 runs thus : take of the berries of the Oriental Co-
 
 TO CATCH FISHES. 83 
 
 cus, a quarter of an ounce ; of cumin and boiling 
 water, each two ounces ; of cheese, one ounce, 
 and of meal three ounces ; after bruising them to- 
 gether, form them into small balls. Others mix 
 thejberries with old cheese, honey, and wheaten 
 meal, of which they form small balls, to be thrown 
 to fishes. Others for this purpose mix a- 'Variety 
 of other substances with these berries ; but after 
 all their pains there is no necessity for so trou- 
 blesome an apparatus, since I have known by ex- 
 perience, says Ray, that a simple ball of the pow- 
 der of these intoxicating berries, made up with 
 wheaten meal and water, is equally efficacious 
 for stupifying, and at last killing, fishes ; for that 
 fishes, as some assert, are by eating balls of this 
 kind, only rendered vertiginous and stupid for a 
 while, but soon return to their natural state, is 
 not confirmed by experience ; for my own expe- 
 rience, says Mr. Ray, quadrates with the opinion 
 of those fishes spoken of by the learned Condron- 
 chius who affirms that fishes are soon killed by 
 balls of this kind. But I do not know whether, 
 as they assert, they soon become putrid, and fall 
 into pieces, unless they are speedily taken out of 
 the water. If, says Condonchitis, any should ob- 
 ject, that, upon taking these balls, the fishes swim 
 tip and down with uncommon haste and precipi- 
 tation, by which means their intoxication, or ver- 
 tigo, is produced ; I answer that they do not 
 ramble thus in consequence of their vertigo, but 
 in consequence of the intolerable pain they feel 
 from that unfriendly substance, jusfas other ani- 
 mals do, especially men, when they are racked 
 with any intense pain. I readily grant that by 
 these balls fishes are rendered vertiginous, and as 
 it were intoxicated ; but at the same time, I af
 
 84 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 firm, that they are soon after killed; for I am 
 not much of opinion that they are rendered ver- 
 tiginous, and killed by the bitter and acrid, or 
 by some hitherto unknown quality of these ber- 
 ries. I will not, however, take upon me to deter- 
 mine, whether fishes killed in this manner may 
 be safely eaten, but with Condonchius I am 
 of opinion, that no danger attends the use of 
 them as an aliment, if they arc gutted and boiled 
 as soon as taken. That these berries are hot and 
 by means cold, as all opiates certainly are, as also 
 Matthiolus, and others maintain, notwithstand- 
 ing their narcotic quality, is sufficiently obvious 
 from their acrid and bitter taste, as also l>y the 
 other effects produced by them, as Condonchius 
 has evidently demonstrated. This same author 
 is of opinion, that these berries are by no means 
 possessed of a poisonous and deletereous quality, 
 and it is not by this, but by their bitterness and 
 primary qualities, that fishes are killed ; but the 
 contrary to me seems plain, from a story related 
 by Arnatus. A certain schoolmaster asking for 
 cubebs from an ignorant apothecary, received 
 these berries in their stead. When the school- 
 master had greedily devoured three or four of 
 them, he was seized with a nausea, hiccough, and 
 anxiety, which symptoms, together with the dan-* 
 ger they threatened^ ere immediately removed 
 by administering a vomit : the reasoning is weak, 
 and more about words than facts, and may be 
 equally said of opium ; the absurdity of which is 
 evident to all who know the nature and operation 
 of hypnotics. 
 
 This description of the Oriental Cocus, I am 
 indebted to the late ingenious Dr. Cook for, but I 
 must beg leave to make some observations, whicli
 
 TO CATCH FISHES. 85 
 
 seem to have escaped the Doctor, and the great 
 authorities that he has quoted. 
 
 1. I know from actual experience, that there 
 needs no other process for making these berries 
 up, than that which I have set down ; as for the 
 wheaten meal, which Mr. Kay mentions, it is to- 
 tally useless, the plain berries pounded, and made 
 into a paste by adding Water, being a sufficient 
 preparation. 
 
 2. It not only depends upon the size of the 
 fishes, bnt upon the quantity of the paste which 
 they pick up, which makes these berries kill the 
 fishes, o" only renders them vertiginous or intox- 
 icated ; if you then take them out with a landing 
 net, and put them into a sufficient quantity of wa- 
 ter, those will soon recover who have had only a 
 small share of the paste, and may be eaten when 
 well gutted and cleaned, with the greatest safety. 
 
 3. That these berries are of a deletereous na- 
 ture, is sufficiently obvious by what has been said 
 before. A porter brewer in London, some time 
 ago forfeited a considerable sum for fining his li- 
 quor with these berries. It is but necessary to 
 know these secrets ; but I am sure no true lover 
 of angling will ever make use of them. 
 
 TO TAKE A PIKE AS HE LIES BASK1XG IN MARCH 
 OR AUGUST. 
 
 Take a long pole or rod, that is light and 
 straight, and on the small end fasten a running 
 loop of twisted horsehair and silk, of a large com- 
 pass ; which gently draw five or six Inches over 
 the gills, and then hoist him on shore as quick as 
 possible. If it is a small one, draw it not on so 
 far, and keep very silent ; you may also take him
 
 86 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 with a hand net, by putting it under him very 
 gently, and then taking him up as quick as you 
 can. 
 
 OINTMENTS TO ALLURE FISHES TO KITE. 
 
 As many of my brother anglers may wish to try 
 the efficacy of chemicals, towards increasing their 
 pastime, 1 here present them with a few receipts, 
 and leave them to make their trials as they please., 
 
 Take gum-ivy, and put a good deal of it into a 
 box made of oak, and chafe and nib the inside of 
 it with this gum.' When you angle put three or 
 four worms into it, but they must not remain 
 there long, for if they do it will kill them ; then 
 take them out and fish with them, putting more 
 in their places as you want them out of your 
 worm bag. Gum-ivy is a tear which drops from 
 the body of large ivy trees, being wounded, and 
 is of a yellowish red color, of a strong scent, and 
 sharp taste; that which is sold in the shops is 
 counterfeit, and good for nothing. Therefore, to 
 get gum-ivy about Michaelmas, or in the spring, 
 drive several great nails into large ivy-stalks, wrig- 
 gle' the same till they become very loose, and let 
 them remain, and the gum will issue thereout. 
 
 Also slit several great ivy-stalks, at the time 
 above-mentioned, and visit them once a month, 
 and gather the gum which flows from the wound- 
 ed part. This will very much improve the an- 
 gler's success. Probatiim est. 
 
 Take ass&fcetida, three drachms, camphor, one 
 ditto, Venice turpentine, one ditto, pound altoge- 
 ther in a mortar, with some drops of the chemical 
 oil of laVender, or spike. When you angle, anoint 
 eight inches of your line with it, next your hook,
 
 TO CATCH FISHES. 87 
 
 and it is excellent for trout in muddy water, and 
 for gudgeons in clear. Probatum est. 
 
 Assaf'cetida grows in Media, Lybia, and Syria ; 
 it is a gummy juice of Laser, Laserpitium, or Syl- 
 phion, gathered from the root or stalk when cut 
 open; chuse that which is pure, fine, and clammy, 
 and smelling almost like garlic. It will keep 
 many years, but is often adulterated by mixing 
 meal, bran, and the gum Segapenum together. 
 
 Camphor is a resinous gum, partly flowing of its 
 own accord, but chiefly by incision, from a tall 
 tree growing in India: the Bornean Camphor is 
 best. Chuse that which is white and clear like 
 chrystal, strong scented, will easily crumble be- 
 tween the fingers, and being set on fire is difficult 
 to be extinguished. There is a fictitious sort 
 which being put into a hot loaf will parch, but 
 the true will melt: it will keep many years in 
 flax-seed if it is not exposed to the air, other- 
 wise it will evaporate and consume to nothing. 
 
 Mr. Walton, in his Complete Angler, says, 
 that if you dissolve gum-ivy in oil of spike, anoint 
 your bait for a pike with it, that he will take it 
 the sooner. 
 
 1 shall now give the reader the ne plus ultra of 
 all these kinds of ointments, composed by Mons. 
 Charrs, apothecary royal to Louis the Fourteenth. 
 Take cat's fat, heron's fat, and the best assafceti- 
 da, of each two drachms, mummy, finely powder- 
 ed, diito, cummin seed, finely powdered, two 
 scruples, and camphor, galbanum, and Venice 
 turpentine, of each one drachm, and civet two 
 grains. Make them, secundum artem, into a thin- 
 nish ointment, with the chemical oils of lavender, 
 aniseed, and camomile, and keep it in a narrow- 
 mouthed, and well glaxod cvallinot. ro* ' </'.
 
 88 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 a bladder and leather, and it will keep two years. 
 When you want to use it, put some into a small 
 taper pewter box, and anoint your bait with it, 
 and about eight or nine inches of the line, and 
 when it is washed off, repeat the unction. Proba- 
 tum est. 
 
 ' All arts and shapes, the wily angler tries, 
 
 ' To cloak his fraud, and tempt the finny prize : 
 
 ' Their sight, their smell, he carefully explores, 
 
 ' And blends the druggist's and the chemist's stores ; 
 
 ' Devising still, with fancy ever new, 
 
 ' Pastes, oils, and unguents, of each scent and hue." 
 
 HOW TO MAKE FISH-HOOKS. 
 
 
 
 In order to make a good hook, there are requi- 
 site a hammer, a knife, a pair of pincers, an iron 
 semi-cleam, a file, a w : rest, a bender, tongs, both 
 long and short, an anvil, and steel needles of dif- 
 ferent sizes. Heat a needle of the size you w r ant, 
 in a charcoal fire, and raise the beard with your 
 knife, then let it cool. Sharpen the point, either 
 with a file or on a grindstone, then put it into the 
 
 ^fire again and bend it into what shape you please ; 
 make the upper part of the shank four square, and 
 file the edges smooth, then put it into the fire a 
 third time, and heat it gently ; take it out sudden- 
 ly, and plunge it into water, and your operation 
 
 -is finished. 
 
 Use not a small hook for great baits, nor a large 
 one for small ones : Barbels and chubs must have 
 large ones, but perches, tenches, breams, and eels, 
 much smaller. Trouts in clear waters, graylings, 
 salmon-smelts, roach and dace,ruffs and gudgeons, 
 must have small hooks: and, though many angle 
 for trouts with large hooks in thick waters, yet 
 small ones are the best. Experience will point
 
 GLUE FOR ANGLING-RODS, ETC. 89 
 
 out the inconvenience of large hooks The noble 
 salmon alone must have a large one. 
 
 A GLUE FOR ANGLJNG-RODS. 
 
 Pour some water on some quick lime, until the 
 ebullition ceases, then pour the water from it, and 
 boil your glue very gently with this water, and it 
 will make a very good glue. 
 
 .J i 
 
 A RECEIPT THAT RENDERS LEATHER MORE CAPABLE 
 TO KfEP OUT WET. 
 
 As rlry feet are very necessary to health, I have 
 copied an excellent receipt for the angler's use, 
 that will prevent his boots or shoes letting in wa~ 
 ter. Take a pint of linseed oil, with half a pound 
 of mutton suet, six or eight ounces of bees wax, 
 and a halfpenny worth of rosin ; boil all these in 
 a pipkin together, and then let it cool till it be 
 lukewarm ; take a little hair brush, and lay it on 
 your boots ; but it is much better to be laid on the 
 leather before the boots are made, and brushed 
 with it once over when they are ; as for your 
 old boots or shoes, you must brush them with it 
 when they are dry. As I am now acting the part 
 of physician, let me advise you, whenever you 
 are out in the heat of summer, fishing, and are 
 thirsty, never to drink water, as the consequences 
 arising from such an indiscretion may prove fa- 
 tal ; but either take a little brandy or rum out 
 with you, in a wicker bottle, or wait till you come 
 to some house where you can have a little ; the 
 effects it has of quenching the thirst, and cooling 
 the body are instantaneous. 
 
 The angler being now furnished with every re-
 
 90 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 quisite for the art of ground angling, his strictly 
 adhering to the theory laid down, in his practice, 
 is the only thing he has to do, and he may de- 
 pend on his endeavours being crowned with suc- 
 cess. The second part of this little essay will treat 
 of artificial fly-fishing, under every head that can 
 prove of utility to the angler ; which certainly 
 bears the bell in that delightful recreation, that 
 adds strength and vigour to the body, keeps the 
 mind in a perfect state of serenity, and tranquilli- 
 ty, and alleviates the cares and troubles attendant 
 on mortality. 
 
 In short, how delightful is every species of this 
 diversion, in such a paradise as the Poet describes: 
 
 Behind, where alders from the weather screen, 
 Before the lawn presents its lengthen'd scene : 
 Close on that side trills soft the emptying brook, 
 While this fresh woods and sloping, hills o'erlook : 
 Thick over head the rose and woodbine meet, 
 Uniting shade to shade, and sweet to sweet ; 
 The pea and blooming bean their odours yield, 
 And new-mown hay perfumes the fragrant field. 
 To hear the nightingale delights the meads, 
 And graslioppers chirp shrill amid the reeds; 
 \Vhile from the pinfold, there, the bleating sheep, 
 Cheer the still twilight, and divert from sleep ; 
 The gale's perfume, the echo's mimic sound, 
 The night-bird's song, and lowing kine around ; 
 In hollow banks the hum of must'ring bees, 
 And zephyrs whisp'ring soft amid the trees. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST PART.
 
 PART II. 
 
 THE 
 
 COMPLETE FJLY-FISHER 
 
 EVERY MAN HIS OWN FLY-MAKER. 
 
 With pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook, 
 
 Let me with judgment cast the feather'd hook, 
 
 Silent along the mazy margin stray, 
 
 And with a fur-^wrought fly delude the prey. 
 
 To frame the little animal, provide 
 
 All the gay hues that wait on female pride. 
 
 Let Nature guide thee : sometimes golden wire 
 
 The shining bellies of the fly require; 
 
 The peacock's plumes thy tackle must not fail, 
 
 Nor the dear purchase of the sable's tail. 
 
 Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, 
 
 And lends the growing insect proper wings : 
 
 Silks of all colours must their ai<t impart, 
 
 And every fur promote the fisher's art. 
 
 GAY, 
 
 I 3
 
 THE 
 
 COMPLETE FLY-FISHER, 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Observations concerning Artificial-Fly-Angling^ with 
 proper Directions for the Anglers Rods, Lines, fyc. 
 
 (HE art of artificial fly-fishing, certainly has 
 the pre-eminence over the other various me- 
 thods that are used to take fishes in the art of 
 angling. It requires a great deal of ingenuity 
 and attention, and the variety, which attends 
 it makes it one both pleasant and agreeable. 
 The angler is not confined to any particular part 
 of the water in fly-fishing, but roves from one 
 place to another, trying his fortune, by throw- 
 ing his flies into the different eddies, and the 
 most likely places he meets with, to make a 
 captive of the speckled trout : enjoying at the 
 same time the harmonious warblings of the nu- 
 merous songsters of the groves : beholding the 
 diversity of the prospect spread around him, and 
 gaining that health and serenity of mind, not to 
 be purchased by all the riches iu the universe.
 
 94 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 The imitations of nature, in regard to the flies ne- 
 cessary for use suiting the different colours so ex- 
 actly as to resemble the natural fly ; and observ- 
 ing the greatest nicety in regard to its symmetry, 
 contribute to make it still more delightful. 
 Whenever he makes a fly, let him have the 
 natural one always before him, which will enable 
 him to be a competent judge of the materials most 
 necessary to dub it with ; a list of which, and of 
 the best way to make the Palmer and May-fly, 
 (which are the ground of artificial fly-angling, I 
 shall give him by and by) ; for if he is not able to 
 make his own flies, he never will be a good fly- 
 fisher, nor experience that pleasure, which he 
 will receive by taking fishes with one of his own 
 making. He must never think a fly ill made be- 
 cause it will not kill fishes as well in any other 
 river as that he particularly angles in ; because 
 the same flies differ very much both in colour and 
 size in different counties; besides which, flies 
 that will be taken on their peculiar water one 
 year in April, will perhaps not be taken in the 
 next till the middle of May, the whole depend- 
 ing on the warmth or coldness of the season. 
 Mr. Taylor in his treatise, where he describes the 
 superiority of fly-fishing to the other branches 
 of angling, with great humour observes, that the 
 angler is surprised, at the manner in which the 
 fish take the flies ; and by seeing their surprise, 
 when they find they are hooked, by rising at the 
 flies ! I shall proceed to give the angler a descrip- 
 tion of the rods and lines best calculated for 
 artificial fly-fishing ; but before I do, shall make 
 this one observation : that theory, without prac- 
 tice, can never make a man a proficient.
 
 ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING, ETC. 95 
 
 RODS AND LINES PROPER FOR ARTIFICIAL VLY- 
 FiSjr/JAG, ETC. 
 
 As for your artificial fly-rod, the directions 
 given in the first part of this treatise are sufficient, 
 only be careful that the materials which it is corn- 
 posed of are well seasoned, and free from knots, 
 and that the whole is exactly perfect in regard to 
 symmetry. 
 
 The length of the fly-rod is generally from 
 about fourteen to seventeen feet long; which is 
 long enough for any one who understands fly-fish- 
 ing to throw twelve yards of line, with one hand, 
 and seventeen with both. 
 
 To make a fly rod, that will be exceedingly 
 neat and pleasant in hand, you must observe the 
 following method : 
 
 Procure a nice breadth of ash plank, free frorp. 
 knots, perfectly sound, an^ about seven feet long; 
 let it be turned in'the lath so as lo run taper from 
 the but-end, which should be so thiek and no more 
 than you can with ease grasp in your hand ; then 
 have it feruled, or bind it . to a piece of hazel 
 seven feet long, and in exact taper proportion to 
 the ash. As you may not be able to get a piece 
 of hazel so long, that will run perfectly taper, it 
 may consist of two or three pieces ; then add to 
 the hazel a nice piece of yew (in the same propor- 
 tion to the hazel as that is to the ash) two feet 
 long, made round, taper, and smooth, and to that 
 piece a bit of small round, and taper whale-bone, 
 six inches long ; then the rod will be completed ; 
 and if just symmetry is observed through the 
 whole, it will be a most excellent one. 
 
 Some use deal for making the bottom of the
 
 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 rod, because they say it is more light ; but I in 
 answer to that aver, that it is not half so strong 
 and lasting, and that the ash, on account of its 
 strength, may be turned in the lath, or planed 
 down to be every jot as light as the deal, and that 
 the angler, when he has hooked a good fish, need 
 never fear it snapping short, as deal will, because 
 it is the nature of the wood to bend almost dou- 
 ble, nd will always, if well seasoned, return to its 
 former straightness. Let your rod, thus made, 
 be ringed for the line to pass through, with small 
 brass rings, *ab'out a foot distant from each other, 
 and at the but-e*rid let there be a spike made to 
 screw in, which you Will find very convenient ; 
 and you may, if you like to alter the colour of 
 your joint (though it does not signify so much in 
 ash as in deal, whose whiteness would scare the 
 fish) first warm it before the fire, and then dip a 
 feather in aquafortis, put it on the ash, and then 
 chafe it with your l^and, aa4 it will make it a 
 cinnamon, or rather a puce, or flea colour. 
 
 Your fly-line should be about thirty yards long, 
 and wound on a small brass multiplying winch, 
 which is to be placed on the but of your rod ; then 
 you must run the line through the rings before- 
 mentioned, and you may always command the 
 length without the trouble of changing the line, 
 and shorten it when you come to places encum- 
 bered with wood. The general length that you 
 should have off your reel must be about four yards 
 longer than your rod, nay, sometimes the line 
 must be twice the length of the rod ; for to fish 
 fine and far off is the standing rule for trout fishing. 
 But it will be a long time before you are able to 
 throw a dib-line with nicety at the general length, 
 yet as you can always lengthen or shorten it by
 
 ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING, ETC. 97 
 
 means of the winch, you may, if you are expert, 
 and are a true lover of angling, after some trials 
 accomplish it. Never encumber yourself with too 
 much line at first, but increase the length of it as 
 you find you make improvement ; and as it is ten 
 to one, that you lose a fly every time you cast 
 your line, until you are arrived at some degree of 
 perfection in doing it, it will not be amiss to prac- 
 tise sometimes without one. But let me return to 
 the subject : your line should run taper from the 
 top of the rod down to the fly, that is, if the first 
 link is composed of thirty-five hairs the next 
 must be of thirty-four ; so leaving out one hair 
 in each link, till the whole is completed ; then 
 comes the silk-worm gut, on which you should 
 whip all your hooks. 
 
 But the best lines for artificial fly-angling are 
 these that are wove, and are all one piece, and 
 are to be bought at any of the shops in London, 
 where fishing-tackle is sold, and run taper like 
 the lash of a coach-whip, and may be had at any 
 length ; as from thirty to forty yards, 8tc. 
 
 These are the only lines that can be used on a 
 winch; because they have no knots to prevent 
 them running glibly through the rings of the rod. 
 By the line being made taper, you will be able 
 to throw it into any place you like with a greater 
 exactness, and it will fall much lighter on the 
 water, which will very much increase your sport. 
 The reader now being informed of the rod and 
 lines best calculated for artificial fly-fishing, I shall 
 in the next chapter give him a list of the mate- 
 rials he must be in possession of before he at- 
 tempts to make flies, and afterwards give him 
 the best instructions for making them.
 
 98 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 A List of the Materials necessary for an Angler to 
 have, and the best Method to make the Palmer and 
 May Fly. 
 
 HOG'S DOJTX, 
 
 COMBED from the roots of the bristles of 
 black, red, whitish, and sandy-coloured hogs ; 
 the white down you may have dyed to any color 
 you like. It is excellent dubbing, because it will 
 stand the water and shines well. To be a com- 
 petent judge of the real colour of any dubbing, 
 you must hold it between the sun and your eyes. 
 This is a standing rule when you imitate a fly. 
 
 CAMEL'S HAIR, 
 
 Of a dark and light colour, and one in the 
 medium of both. 
 
 BADGER'S HAIR, 
 
 The brown soft fur which is on the skin, and 
 the blackest. 
 
 HAIR, 
 
 Grey, dun, light and dark coloured, bright 
 brown, and shining brown.
 
 COLT'S O-R CALF'S HAIR. 99 
 
 SPANIEL'S 
 
 From the different parts of a spaniel, especi- 
 ally from behind the ear, brown, dark brown, 
 light brown, and black. 
 
 Of all colours, both natural and artificial ; you 
 may have it dyed to any colour. 
 
 SEAL'S 
 
 To be had at the trunk-makers ; get it dyed 
 from the lightest to the darkest brown, and you 
 will find it mueh better dubbing than cow of 
 calf-s hair. 
 
 MOUAIIIS, 
 
 Of all colours, black, blue, purple, white, vio- 
 let, yellow, and tawney, philotuot from feiiille 
 morte, a dead leaf; ami Isabella, which is a whi- 
 tish yellow, or soiled buff colour. 
 
 coir's HAIR, 
 
 The softest you can get from a black, brindled, 
 and rejl cow ; and of these colours, have brown, 
 dark brown, light brown, and black. 
 
 COLT'S on CALF'S HAIR. 
 
 These afford very good dubbing, and a variety, 
 especially those hides that have been tewed, 01 
 K'
 
 100 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 dressed in a skinners lime-pit ; but, as I said be- 
 fore, seal's fur dyed is much better than either 
 cow's or either of the hairs of these two ; because 
 it is not so harsh, and does not require so much 
 trouble to work it on the hook ; and observe fur- 
 ther, that this fur is for small flies, and hog's 
 down for lare ones. 
 
 Both hair and worsted of all colours, blue, yel- 
 low, dun, brown, dark brown, light brown, red, 
 violet, purple, black, horse-flesh, pink, and 
 orange. 
 
 FURS, 
 
 Off the squirrel, especially his tail ; a hare, the 
 part off the neck which is a withered fern colour; 
 fox-cub from the tail where it is downy and of an 
 ash colour ; an old fox, and old otter, otter-club, 
 futimart, or filmert ; a mole, a black cat's tail ; a 
 house-mouse, and water-rat; a marten, particu- 
 larly from off the gills, or spots under the jaws, 
 which is of a fine yellow. These are all to be had 
 at the furriers. 
 
 H4CKLES. 
 
 These are the feathers that hang from the head 
 of a cock, down his neck, and likewise near his 
 tail, they are particularly used in making the pal- 
 mer fly ; get the following colours of them, viz. 
 red, dun, yellowish, white, orange, and black; let 
 not the fibres of them be above half an inch long. 
 Whenever you meet with a cock, whose hackle is
 
 SILKS, ETC. 101 
 
 of a strong brown red, buy him, and make the 
 most of the hackleg. Note, the feathers of a ban- 
 tam or cock chick, arc good for nothing. 
 
 FEATHERS. 
 
 To make the wings of artificial flies, &c. it is 
 necessary to be provided with all kinds of feathers; 
 procure therefore those from the back, and other 
 parts of the wild mallard or drake ; of a partridge, 
 particularly the red ones in the tail ; those of a 
 cock-pheasant's breast and tail ; also the wings 
 of a stare or starling, jay, land-rail, black-bird, 
 throstle, fieldfare, water-coot, and a brown hen ; 
 likewise the top, or cop, of a pevit, plover, or 
 lap-wing, peacock's herl, green, copper-coloured, 
 and white, also black ostrich's herl, and feathers 
 from the neck and wings of a heron. Observe, 
 that in many instances hereafter that you will 
 meet with, where the mallard's feather is set 
 down for the wings of an artificial fly, that the 
 starling will be preferable, because it is of a 
 finer grain, and will not imbibe the water so 
 much. 
 
 CARPETS AND BLANKETS. 
 
 There is very good dubbing to be got from 
 blankets, also from an old Turkey carpet ; un- 
 twist the yarn, and pick out the wool, then sepa- 
 rate the colours, wrap them up in different papers, 
 and lay them by. 
 
 SILKS, ETC. 
 
 Of all colours, straw silk, gold and silver flat- 
 K 2
 
 102 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 ted wire, or twist ; hooks in small chip boxes, 
 with the number of the size of each marked on 
 the outside : wax of all colours, and needles ; a 
 sharp pen-knife, and a small sharp pair of scis- 
 sars, made quite angular, with large bows for the 
 fingers. 
 
 N. B. When you make the palmer-fly, suit the 
 oolour of the silk to the hackle you dub with ; a 
 dun hackle requires yellow silk ; a black hackle, 
 sky-blue silk ; a brown, or red hackle, red silk ; 
 when you make flies that are not palmers, dub 
 with silk that resemble* the colour most predo- 
 minant in the fly ; and in making your flies, re- 
 member to mix bear's hair and hog's down, with 
 your other dubbing, because they repel the wa- 
 ter ; make your flies always in hot sun-shiny 
 weather, for your waxed silk will then draw= 
 kindly ; and when you take the dubbing to imi- 
 tate a fly, always wet it, and then you will be 
 perfect in your imitation; for although the dub- 
 bing when dry may suit, yet when it is wet it may 
 be quite another colour. Marten's fur is the best 
 yellow you can use. 
 
 ROfT TO MAKE THE PALMER AND MAY-FLY. 
 
 First lay all the materials by the side of you, 
 viz. half a yard of fine round even silk worm-gut: 
 half a yard of red silk, well waxed with wax of 
 the sanie colour : a hook, the size No. 6 : & nee- 
 dle : some strands of an ostrich's feather, and 
 a fine red hackle : then take the hook, and hold 
 it by the bend, between the fore-finger and 
 thumb of your left hand, with the shank to- 
 wards your right hand, and with the point and 
 beard of your hook not under your fingers, but
 
 PALMER AND MAY FLY. 103 
 
 nearly parallel with the tops of them : after- 
 wards take the. silk, and hold it likewise about 
 the middle of it, with your hook, one part laying 
 along the inside of it to your left hand, the other 
 to the right; theft take that part of the silk which 
 lies towards your right hand, between the fore- 
 finger and thumb of that hand, and holding that 
 part towards your left, tight along the inside of 
 the hook, whip that to the right, three or four 
 times round the shank of the hook towards the 
 right hand ; after which take the siik rvorm-gutt 
 and lay either of its ends along the inside of the 
 shank of the hook, till it comes near the bend of 
 it : then hold the hook, silk, and gut tight between 
 the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, and 
 afterwards give that part of the silk to your right 
 hand, three or four whips more over both hook 
 and gut till it comes near the end of the shank; 
 and make a loop and fasten it light: then whip 
 it neatly again over both siik, gut, and hook, till 
 it comes near the bend of the hook : after which 
 make another loop, and fasten it again : then, if 
 the gut should reach farther than the bend of the 
 hook, cut it off, and your hook will be whipped on 
 and the parts of the silk hang from the bend of it. 
 Having proceeded so far, wax the longest end of 
 the silk again, and take three or four strands of an 
 ostrich's feather, and holding them and the hook, 
 as in the first position, the leathers to the left hand, . 
 and the roots of them in the bend of the hook, with 
 the silk that you waxed last, whip them three or 
 four times round, make a loop, and fasten them 
 tight; then turning the strands to the right hand, 
 and twisting them and the silk together, with the 
 fore-finger and thumb of your right hand, wind 
 them round the shank of the hook till you come to
 
 104 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the place where you first fastened, then make a 
 loop and fasten them again ; if the strands should 
 not be long enough to wind as far as is necessary 
 round the shank, when the silk gets hare you must 
 twist others on it. Having performed this, take 
 your scissars and cut the body of the palmer into 
 an oval form, that is, small at the bend and the 
 end of the shank, but full in the centre ; do not cut 
 too much of the dubbing off. Now both the ends 
 of the silk are separated, one at the bend, another 
 at the end of the shank, wax them both again ; 
 then take the hackle, hold the small end of it be- 
 tween the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, 
 and stroke the fibres of it with those of your right 
 the contrary way from which they are formed ; 
 hold your hook as in the first position, and place 
 the point of the hackle in its bend, with that side 
 which grows nearest the cock upwards, and then 
 whip it tight to the hook ; but in fastening it, tie 
 as few fibres as you can possibly avoid : the hac- 
 kle being fast, take it by the great end, and keep- 
 ing the side nearest the cock to the left hand, 
 begin with your right hand to wind ,it up the 
 shank upon the dubbing, stopping every second 
 turn, and holding what you have wound tight 
 with your left fingers, whilst with the needle you 
 pick out the fibres you will unavoidably take in ; 
 proceed in this manner till you come to the place 
 where you first fastened, and where an end of the 
 silk is : then clip off chose fibres of the hackle 
 which you held between your finger and thumb, 
 close to the stein, and hold the stem close to the 
 hook ; afterwards take the silk in your right hand, 
 and whip the stem very fast to the hook : then 
 make a loop, and fasten it tight : take your pen- 
 knife, and if that part of the stem next the shank
 
 GOLDEN PALMER, OR HACKLE. 105 
 
 of the hook is as long as a part of the hook which 
 is bare, pare it fine, wax you silk, and bind it 
 neatly on the remaining bare part of the hook : 
 then fasten the silk tight, and spread some shoe- 
 maker's wax very lightly on your last binding : 
 after that clip off the ends of the remaining silk, 
 both at the shank and bend of the hook, and all 
 fibres that start or stand ill-conditioned, and the 
 whole is completed. 
 
 This is called the palmer-fly or plain hackle, 
 and may, instead of the ostrich's feather above- 
 mention'ed, be dubbed with black spaniel's fur, 
 and is a very excellent killer. There are three 
 more palmers, which are all to be made in the 
 same manner as I have laid down, only with dif- 
 ferent articles, which are as follow : 
 
 GREAT PAlJtr-U^ OR HACKLE, 
 
 Dubbed the same as the plain hackle with the 
 strands off an ostrich's feather, or a black spa- 
 niel's fur, and warped with red peacock*s hackle, 
 untriromed, that is, leaving the whole length of 
 the hackle staring out (for sometimes the fibres of 
 the hackle are to be shortened all over, sometimes 
 barbed only a little, and sometimes close under- 
 neath) leaving the whole length of fibres on the 
 top, or back of the fly, which makes it swim bet- 
 ter, and, on a whirling ground water, kills great 
 fish. Your hook for this palmer, No. 5. 
 
 (tOLDEN PALMER, OR HACKLE. 
 
 
 
 The same dubbing, ribbed with gold twist, and 
 a red hackle over all.
 
 106 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 SILVER BACKLE. 
 
 Made with a black body also, silver twist over 
 that, and a red hackle over all. 
 
 The variation that is to be observed in making 
 the gold and silver palmer is this, that when you 
 whip the end of the hackle to the bend of the 
 hook, you must also do the same to the gold or 
 silver twist, and first wind either of them on the 
 dubbing, observing that they lie flat on it, and 
 then fasten off; afterwards proceed with the hac- 
 kle as' directed : or you may wind the hackle on 
 the dubbing first, and rib the body with either of 
 the twists afterwards. 
 
 These are the standard hackles in fly-fishing, 
 and are taken any month in the year, from nine 
 to eleven in the morning, and from one to three 
 in the evening, and upon any water ; though you 
 must have different sizes of them, and dubbed 
 with different colours, that you may always be 
 able to suit either a clear or a dark water, or a 
 bright and cloudy atmosphere; observing, that 
 small light-coloured flies are for clear waters and 
 skies, and the largest for dark and cloudy ones. 
 
 These palmers (as I said before) being taken 
 every month in the year, when I come to treat of 
 the flies proper for each month, I shall not take 
 any notice again of the four which I have set 
 down, for that would be totally unnecessary ; but 
 the others which deviate in their size and dubbing 
 from the general rule, will be fully expressed. 
 
 The angler should always try tbotpalmers first, 
 when he fishes in a river that he is Unaccustomed 
 to; and even in that which he constantly uses,. 
 without he knows what fly is on the water, and
 
 ARTIFICIAL FLY. 107 
 
 they should never be changed till he does ; the 
 only way to come to the true knowledge of which, 
 he must observe an old-established rule laid down 
 for that purpose ; and as it is poetically described 
 by Mr. Gay, I shall give it him in that dress. 
 
 Mark well the various seasons of the year, 
 
 How the succeeding insect race appear ; 
 
 hi this revolving moon one colour reigns, 
 
 "Which in the next the fickle trout disdains. 
 
 Oft have I seen a skilful angler try 
 
 The various colours of the treacherous fly ; 
 
 "When he with fruitless pain hath skitnm'd the brook, 
 
 And the coy fish rejects the skipping hook, 
 
 He shakes the boughs, that on the margin grow, 
 
 "Which o'er the stream a waving forest throw ; 
 
 When if an insect fall (his certain guide) 
 
 He gently takes him from the whirling tide : 
 
 Examines well his form with curious eyes, 
 
 His gaudy vest, his wings, his horns, and size; 
 
 Then round his hook the chosen fur he winds, 
 
 And on the back a speckled feather binds ; 
 
 So just the colours shine through every part, 
 
 That Nature seems to live again in art. 
 
 TOE BEST METHOD TO MAKE AN ARTIFICIAL FLY 
 NOT A PALMER. 
 
 First hold your hook fast betwixt the fore- 
 finger and thumb of your left hand, with the 
 back of the shank upwards, and the point to- 
 wards your right hand ; then take a strong small 
 silk, of the colour most predominant in the 
 fly you intend to make, wax it well with the wax 
 of the same colour, and draw it between your fin- 
 ger and thumb to the head of the shank, then 
 whip it twice or thrice about the bare hook, which 
 prevent its slipping, and the shank of the hook 
 from cutting the gut: which being done, take 
 your gut and draw it likewise between your fin-
 
 108 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 ger and thumb, holding the hook so fast as only 
 to suffer it to pass by, till the end of the gut is 
 near the middle of the shank of the hook, on the 
 inside of it; then whip the silk twice or thrice 
 about both gut and hook, as hard as the strength 
 of the silk will permit ; after that take the wings, 
 which before you began to make your fly you had 
 stripped off the stem for its wings, and proporti- 
 onal to it, and which lie with your other materials 
 by you, (as they always should before you begin) 
 and place that side downwards which grew upper- 
 most before, upon the back of the hook, leaving 
 so much only, to serve for the length of the wings 
 of the point of the plume, laying it reversed from 
 the end of the shank upwards ; then whip your 
 silk twice or thrice about the root-end of me fea- 
 ther, gut, and hook ; which being done, clip off 
 the root-end of the feather close by the arming, 
 and then whip the silk fast and firm about the 
 hook and gut till you come to the bend of it ; and 
 then, if the gut goes beyond the bend of the hook, 
 cut it off and make all fast : take then the dub- 
 bing which is to make the body of your fly, as 
 much as you think will do, and holding it lightly 
 with your hook, between the finger and thumb of 
 your left hand, take the silk with the right, and 
 twisting it between the finger and thumb of that 
 hand, the dubbing will spin itself about the silk, 
 which, when it has done, whip it about the armed 
 hook, till you come to the setting on of the wings : 
 afterwards take the feather for the wings, divide 
 it into two equal parts, and turn them back to- 
 wards the bend of the hook, the one on the one 
 side, the other on the other side of the shank, hold- 
 ing them fast in that posture, between the fore- 
 finger and thumb of your left hand ; which being
 
 ARTIFICIAL FLY. 109 
 
 done, warp them so down as to stand, and slope 
 towards the bend of the hook ; and having warp- 
 ed up to the end of the shank, hold the fly fast 
 between the finger and thumb of your left hand, 
 and then take the silk between those of your right, 
 and where the warping ends, pinch or nip it with 
 your thumb-nail against your finger, and strip 
 away the remainder of your dubbing from thf silk, 
 which wax again, and then with the silk which is 
 newly waxed and bare, whip it once or twice about, 
 make the wings stand properly, then fasten and 
 cut it off: after which, with the point of a needle, 
 raise up the dubbing gently from the warp, twitch 
 off the superfluous hairs of your dubbing, leave 
 the wiugs of an equal length, (or your fly will ne- 
 ver swim true) and the whole is completed. 
 
 In this manner you are to make the May-fly, 
 or green drake, and all other flies that are not 
 palmers ; the materials to make the green drake 
 are the following : your hook must be No. 5, and 
 you must have the white-grey feather of a mal- 
 lard for the wings, dyed yellow : the dubbing ca- 
 mel's hair, bright bear's hair, yellow camlet, and 
 the soft down that is combed from the bristles of 
 a hog, well mixed together, the body must be 
 long, and ribbed about with green silk, or rather 
 yellow, waxed with green wax, and three long 
 hairs for his tail, from those ofTa sable's. 
 
 Or, the May-fly may be dubbed after this me- 
 thod. The body of seal's fur, or yellow mohair, 
 a little fox-cub down, and hog's down, or light 
 brown from a turkey carpet, mixed together, warp 
 with green and yellow, pale yellow, or red v 
 cock's hackle under the wings, which are to be 
 the same as in the other method of dubbing it. 
 
 As I shall not mention the green-drake when I
 
 110 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 come to describe the other flies taken in the month 
 of May, I will here give you every particular con- 
 cerning it. He comes on the water the twentieth 
 of that month, and is taken all day long, but best 
 from two to four in the evening, and kills most 
 fish from the end of May to the ninth of June. 
 
 now TO DVE THE XAlLjUttfs TEATBEJK. YELLOW. 
 
 Take the root of a Barbary tree, and shave it, 
 and put to it woody viss, with as much allum as a 
 walnut, and boil your feathers in it with rain wa- 
 ter, and they will be of a fine yellowy or get a lit- 
 tle weld and recou, and boil your feathers with 
 them, and it will answer the same purpose. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The Names and the best Manner of dubbing the diff- 
 erent artificial Flies, r:hich are generally known, 
 and zcill kill Fishes on any Water, from the Be- 
 ginning of March to the End of September. 
 
 I SHALL begin fly-fishing with the month of 
 March, that being soon enough to throw 
 a fly on the water; nay, in some years is too 
 soon, owing to the backxvardness of the sea- 
 son. The inclemency of the weather, before 
 that time, renders the attempt not only un- 
 pleasant, but fruitless, to endeavour to take 
 fishes with the fly ; and the risk a man runs of im- 
 pairing his health, before the weather is mild and 
 temperate, forms an objection more strongly
 
 THE PALMERS. Ill 
 
 against it. Let an angler be ever so fond of fly- 
 fishing, he will certainly have enough, perhaps a 
 satiety, between the months of March and Sep- 
 tember ; besides the mind of man is fond of vari- 
 ety, and there are amusements of the field very 
 pleasant and conducive to health ; for I myself 
 am entirely of Terence's opinion that 
 
 jid prime in vita esse utile, ut nequid nimis. 
 
 MARCH. 
 
 1. The Dark Brovn. 
 
 2. The Great Whirling 
 
 Dun. 
 
 3. The Early Bright 
 
 Brown. 
 
 4. The Thorn, or Hare. 
 
 thorn Tree-Fly. 
 
 5. The Blue Dun. 
 
 6. The Little Black Gnat . 
 
 7. The late bright Broxn. 
 
 1. Dubbed with the brown hair off the shank 
 of a brindled cow, and the grey feather of a 
 drake for wings. 
 
 2. Dubbed with the fur from the bottom of a 
 squirrel's tail, and the wings off the grey feather 
 of a drake. Or, dubbed with squirrel's i'ur, mixed 
 with d*>out a sixth part of fie hog's down, the 
 wings of a pale orange colour, taken from the 
 quill feather off a ruddy hen, the head to be 
 fastened with ash-coloured silk, and a red un- 
 barbed cock's hackle mny be warped under the 
 wings, and a turn or two lower towards his tail. 
 This is a very killing jiu, and in taken best late in 
 the evening of a blustering warm day. 
 
 3. Dnbb.'d with the brown hair off a spaniel, 
 taken from behind the ear, or with that off a rfvl
 
 112 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 cow's flank ; the wings, the grey feather off a 
 wild drake. 
 
 4. Dabbed with seal's fur, dyed a perfect black, 
 mixed with a little Isabella-coloured mohair, the 
 body made small, and the wings off a bright mal- 
 lard's feather. A killing fly. 
 
 5. Dubbed with the down combed from the 
 neck of a black greyhound, or the roots of a fox- 
 cub's-tail, mixed with a little blue voilet worsted, 
 upon a hook, the size No. 9 the wings off the 
 pale part of a starling's feather. This fly is a kil- 
 ling fly, and is taken from eight to eleven, and 
 
 from one to three. 
 
 6 Dubbed with black mohafir, upon a hook 
 the size No. 9, and the wings the lightest part 
 off a starling's feather. 
 
 7. Dubbed with the hair off a cow, or calf s 
 hide, which has been drest in a skinner's lime- 
 pit ; if you hold it between your eyes and the sun, 
 it will appear of a bright gold, or amber colour ; 
 ithe wings off a feather of a brown hen. 
 
 APRIL. 
 
 PALMERS. 
 
 1. The -Dark Brown. 
 
 2. The Voile* Fly. 
 
 3- The Little Whirling 
 Dun. 
 
 4. The Yellov Dun. 
 
 5. The Horse-Jlesh Fly. 
 
 6. The Small Bright 
 
 Brotsn. 
 
 1. Dubbed on a small hook, No. 8 or 9, with 
 brown seal's fur, or with brown spaniel's fur, 
 that looks ruddy, by being exposed to the weather, 
 mixed with a little violet camlet ; warp with yel-
 
 THE PALMERS. 1 13 
 
 low silk, and the wings off the grey feather of a 
 mallard. 
 
 Kills best from eight ta eleven. 
 
 2. Dubbed with dark violet stuff, and a little 
 dun bear's hair mixed with it ; the wings off the 
 grey feather of a mallard. 
 
 Kills very well from the sicth to the tenth of 
 this month. 
 
 3. Dubbed with fox-cub down, ash-coloured at 
 the roots, next the skin ; ribbed about with yel- 
 low silk, the wings off a pale grey feather of a 
 mallard. Or, dubbed with the same down, and a 
 little ruddy brown mixed, warped with grey, or 
 ruddy silk, a red' hackle under the wings, which 
 must be made from the feather of a land-rail, or 
 ruddy brown chicken, which is better. 
 
 This Jit/ comes on the water the twelfth of this 
 month, and is taken in the middle of the day, all 
 the month through, and in blustering weather 
 to the end of June. 
 
 4. Dubbed with camel's hair, and marten's yel- 
 low fur, mixed together; or with a small quantity 
 of pale yellow cruel, mixed with fox-cub down 
 from the tail, warped with yellow silk; and the 
 wings off a pale starling's feather. 
 
 Thisjly is taken from eight to eleven, and from 
 tzvo to four. 
 
 5. Dubbed with blue mohair, and with pink 
 and red colour tammy, mixed, a brown head and 
 light-coloured wings. 
 
 Thisji'f is taken all the month tzoo hours before 
 sun-set till twilight. 
 
 6. Dabbed with spaniel's fur, the wings the 
 lightest part off a stare's feather. 
 
 Taken very well in a bright day and clear 
 water.
 
 114 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 MAY. 
 
 PALMERS. 
 
 The May-fiy. 
 
 1. The Dun Cut. 
 
 2. The Stone-fly. 
 
 3. The Black May-fly. 
 
 4. Little Yellow May-Jiy 
 
 5. The Grey Drake. 
 
 6. The Camlet-Jly. 
 
 7. The Cow-dun g-Fly. 
 
 1. Dubbed with bear's hair of a brownish co- 
 lour, with a little blue and yellow mixed with it ; 
 the wings off a brown hen, and two horns at the 
 head from the hairs off a squirrel's tail. Or, dub- 
 bed with bear's-cub fur, a little yellow and green 
 cruel mixed with it, warped with yellow or green; 
 wings off a land-rail. 
 
 A great killer in the evening of a showery day. 
 
 2. Dubbed with dun bear's hair, mixed with a 
 little brown and yellow camlet, so placed that the 
 fly may be more yellow on the belly, and towards 
 the tail, than any where else ; place two or three 
 hairs off u black cat's beard on the top of the 
 hook in the arming it, in such a manner that they 
 may be turned up when you warp on the dub- 
 bing and stand almost upright, and start one from 
 the other ; rib the body with yellow silk, and 
 make the wings very large off the dark grey fea- 
 thers of a mallard. The hpok No. 3. 
 
 This a very great killer, and comes on the water 
 about the middle of April, and continues till the. 
 end oj June ; it is generally used in stei'i streams, 
 but if there is a good wind stirring it will be 
 taken in the deeps ; it is taken but indifferently in 
 the middle of the day, but excellently late and 
 early.
 
 DUN CUT, ETC. 115 
 
 3. Dubbed with the strands off a black ostrich's 
 feather, ribbed with gilvex twist, und a black 
 cock's hackle over all. 
 
 A good killer, but not to te compared with the 
 Green Drake, or Stone fty. 
 
 4. Dubbed with yellow camlet, or yellow mnr- 
 ten's fur, the wings of a mallard's feather dyed 
 yellow This fly is to be made very small, but 
 exactly in the shape of the green drake. 
 
 5. Dubbed with whitish hog's down, 'mixed 
 with black spaniel's fur, ribbed with black silk : 
 black cat's beard for the whisks of the tail, and 
 the wings off the black grey feather of a mallard. 
 Or, dubbed with white ostrich's feather, the end 
 of the body towards the tail, off peacock's herl ; 
 warping of ash-colour, with silver twist and black 
 hackle, and the wings a dark grey feather oi 11 
 mallard. 
 
 A very killing fly, especially towards an even- 
 ing, what the. fishes are glutted icith the Gretn 
 
 T\ 7 
 
 JDrake. 
 
 6. Dubbed with dark brown shining camlet, 
 ribbed over with very small green silk, and th& 
 wings off the double grey feather of a mallard. 
 
 It will kill small Jishes, and continue; : till thi 
 end of June. 
 
 7- Dubbed with light brown and yellow mixed 
 or dirty lemon-coloured mohair, with the same 
 coloured hackle under the wings, which may IK- 
 either made of the feather off a land-rail, or <v 
 dark grey feather of a mallard. 
 
 The size of the hook, ISo. 7. 
 
 Thhjty is used in cold windy days.
 
 BEST'S AUT or ANGMNC. 
 
 JUNE. 
 
 tHE PALMERS. 
 
 1. The Ant-Fly. 
 
 2. Purple Gold Palmer 
 
 3. The Little Black Gnat. 
 
 4. The Brown Palmer. 
 
 5. The Great Red Spinntr 
 
 6. The Small Red Spinner 
 
 1. Dubbed with brown and red camlet mixed ; 
 tbe wings the pale part off a starling's feather. 
 
 2. Dubbed with purple mohair, ribbed with 
 gold twist, and red cock's hackle over all. 
 
 3. Dubbed with the black strands off an os- 
 trich's feather, upon a hook the size No. 9- and 
 the wings off the lightest part of a starling's fea- 
 ther. 
 
 A great killer after a shower of rain, especially 
 in an evening. 
 
 4. Dubbed with light brown seal's hair, war- 
 ped with ash-coloured silk, and a red hackle over 
 ill.. 
 
 5. Dubbed with seal's fur dyed red, and brown 
 bear's hair mixed together, but there must be 
 bear's hair sufficient to make the body appear of 
 a dullish red, ribbed with gold twist, the wings off 
 a stare's feather ; and red cock's hackle over the 
 dubbing. The hook, No. 7. 
 
 This ft/ kills very well till the latter end of 
 August from six o'clock till twilight upon a dark 
 - Coloured water. 
 
 6. Dubbed with the yellow off a spaniel, taken 
 from behind the ear, ribbed with gold twist, a red 
 hackle over all, and the wings off a starling's fea- 
 ther. The hook, No. 8 or 9. 
 
 Thhjly kilft exactly at th? same time the other 
 spinner dots, but when tht water is very clear.
 
 BADGER-PLY, ETC. 117 
 
 JULY. 
 
 THE PALMERS. 
 
 1. The Badger Fly. I 4. The Black Patmer. 
 
 2. The Orange Fly. I 5. Black Silver Palmer, 
 3. . The IVast-Fly. I 6. The July Dun. 
 
 1 . Dubbed with the soft brown fur off a bad- 
 ger's skin, warped with red silk, the wings off the 
 dark grey feather of a mallard ; the head must be 
 red. 
 
 This fly is an excellent killer, and in some rivers 
 is taken in March and April. 
 
 2. Dubbed with orange-coloured wool; the 
 wings off the feather of a black-bird's wing. Or, 
 dubbed with raw orange silk, warped with silk of 
 the same colour, ribbed with gold twist, and 
 a black or red hackle over all. 
 
 This fly is taken in June zohen the May-fly is 
 over, in hot gloomy weather, and till the end of 
 this month. 
 
 3. Dubbed with brown bear's hair, or the fur 
 off a black cat's tail, ribbed with yellow silk, and 
 the wings off the pale feather of a stare's wing. 
 
 4. Dubbed with the herl off a copper-coloured 
 peacock's feather, with a black cock's hackle over 
 it. 
 
 5. Dubbed the same as the Black Palmer, rib- 
 bed with silver twist, and black hackle over all. 
 
 (5. Dubbed with the down off a water- mo use, 
 mixed with bluish dyed seal's fur: or dubbed 
 with the fur off a mole, mixed with a little mar- 
 ten's fur; warped with ash-coloured silk: the 
 wings off the feather of a blue pigeon's wing, 
 The size of the hook, No. 9. 
 
 A good killer*
 
 118 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 AUGUST. 
 
 THE PALMERS. 
 
 1. The Late Ant Fly. 
 
 2. The Fern Fly. 
 
 3. The White Palmer. 
 
 4. The Hearth Fit/. 
 
 5. The Pale Blue. 
 
 6. The Harry Long Legs* 
 
 1. Dubbed with the hair off a cow that is of a 
 blackish brown ; warp some red in for the tag of 
 his tail ; the wings off the feather of a brown hen. 
 
 An excellent killer. 
 
 2. Dubbed with the fur off a hare's neck of a 
 fern colour ; the wings of a darkish grey feather 
 off a mallard's. 
 
 3. Dubbed with the white herl off a peacock's 
 feather, and a white hackle over all. 
 
 4. Dubbed with the wool off an aged black 
 ewe, mixed with some grey colt's hair ; the wings 
 off those of a starling's. 
 
 5. Dubbed with very light blue fur, mixed with 
 a little yellow marten's fur, and a blue hackle 
 over all ; the wings off the feather of a blue 
 pigeon. 
 
 A very killing fty from ten in the morning till 
 three in the evening. The hook, No. 3.. 
 
 6. Dubbed with darkish bear's hair, mixed 
 with a little blue wool, and a brown hackle over 
 all: or dubbed with lightish bear's hair, mixed 
 with a few hairs of light blue mohair, and a little 
 fox-cub down, warped with light grey or pale 
 blue silk, and a dunnish hackle over all ; the 
 head 'nade laro;e. 
 
 Taken chiefly in a cloudy windy day. The 
 No. i>.
 
 PEACOCK-HACKUT., ETC. 119 
 
 SEPTEMBER. 
 
 THE PALXERS. 
 
 \. Tfie Peacock Hackle. I 3. The Late Badger. 
 2. The Camel Brown. \ 4. The September's Dun. 
 
 1 . Dubbed with peacock's ruddy herl ; warped 
 with green silk, and a red cock's hackle over all. 
 
 C. Dubbed with the hair pulled out of the lime 
 of an old wall ; warped with red silk, and the 
 wings off the darkish grey feather of a mallard. 
 
 3. Dubbed with the fur off a black badger's 
 skin, mixed with the softest yellow down off a 
 sanded hog, and the wings off the feather of a 
 dark grey mallard. 
 
 4. Dubbed with the down off a mouse ; warped 
 with sad ash-coloured silk ; and the wings off the 
 dark-coloured feather of a stare's. The hook, 
 No. 0- 
 
 I have given the reader forty-seven of the best 
 flies used in fly-fishing, and what are generally 
 known ; with the best methods of dubbing them ; 
 and which, if he pays attention to, and makes his 
 exceptions with judgment, he may in time be- 
 come an excellent flv.fisher.
 
 120 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 A Selection from the foregoing List of Flies, that 
 will kill Fish in any part of England und 
 Wales, particularly Trout. 
 
 
 
 THE PALMERS* 
 
 5. Great Dun. 
 
 6. Dark Broizn. 
 
 7. Early Bright Brown. 
 
 8. Late ditto. 
 
 9. Black Gnat. 
 
 10. Yellow Dun. 
 
 11. Great Whirling Dun. 
 
 12. Little ditto. 
 
 13. Dun Cut. 
 
 14. May Fly. 
 
 15. Grey Drake. 
 
 16. Camlet Fly. 
 
 17. Cow Dung Fly. 
 
 18. Little Ant Fly. 
 
 19. Badger Fly. 
 
 20. Fern Fly. 
 
 21. Stone Fly. 
 
 N. B. There are two salmon flies, which are 
 the principal ones, called the Dragon and King's 
 .Fisher, about two inches long, which may be 
 made according to fancy ; but of the most gaudy 
 feathers there are, especially the peacock's, for 
 they will rise at any thing gaudy, and where there 
 are plenty, at trout flies. 
 
 ^ There are likewise two moths which I have 
 omitted, great killers about twilight in a serene 
 evening ; and the humble-bee, a famous chub-kil- 
 ler, any time of the day. They are dubbed in the 
 following manner : 
 
 The brown moth : the wings off the feather of 
 a brown owl ; dubbed with light mohair, with a 
 dark grizzle cock's hackle for the legs ; and a 
 red head. 
 
 The white moth : dubbed with the white 
 strands of an ostrich's feather ; wings off the fea-
 
 121 
 
 ther of a white pigeon's wing ; a white hackle for 
 the legs, and a black head. The hooks for both, 
 No. 2. 
 
 The humble-bee : dubbed with black spaniel's 
 fur; a black cock's hackle over that; the tag of 
 the tatt to be of a deep orange colour ; and the 
 wings off the feather of a crow's wing. The hook, 
 No. 2. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 THE list of flies which I have given the an- 
 gler, he may depend are the standard for 
 artiticial fly-fishing ; but as I am willing to give 
 him as much scope as possible, to enable him to 
 become an adept in this pleasant and ingenious 
 recreation, I hejie present him with a second list, 
 which he must make use of as his experience in 
 artificial fly-fishing increases : and I dare affirm, 
 that if he makes a judicious application of this 
 and the former list, and observes the rules laid 
 down for the weather, proper for this sport, he 
 will never go home with an empty pannier. 
 
 THE RED FLY. 
 
 Comes on about the middle of February, and 
 continues till the end of March : its wings are 
 made artificially, of a dark drake's feather ; the 
 body of the red part of squirrel's fur, with the red 
 hackle of a cock, wrapped twice or thrice under 
 the butt of the wing ; has four wings, and gene- 
 rally flutters upon the surface of the water, which
 
 122 BEST'S, ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 tempts the fishes, and makes them take it the 
 more enger. The size of the hook, No. 6. 
 
 THE SLUE DUN FLY. 
 
 Comes on the beginning of March, an<J conti- 
 nues till the middle of April ; its wings are made 
 of a feather out of the starling's wing, or the blue 
 feathers that grow under the wing of a duck wid- 
 geon ; the body is made of the blue fur off a fox, 
 or the blue part of a squirrel's fur, mixed with a 
 little yellow mohair, and a fine blue cock's hackle 
 wrapped over the body, in imitation of the legs : 
 as it swims down the water, its wings stand up- 
 right on its back ; its tail forked, and of the same 
 colour of its wings. It appears on the water 
 about ten o'clock in the forenoon, and continues 
 till about three in the afternoon ; but the princi- 
 pal time of the day is from twelve till two, the flies 
 then come down in great quantities, and are al- 
 ways more plentiful in dark, cold, gloomy days, 
 than in bright sun-shiny weather. Your morn- 
 ing's Jishing, till the Jiies come on, should be rcith 
 the worm or minnow ; the size of the hook this fty 
 is made on, is No. 1 ; but if the water is very 
 lozo andJinC) No. 8. 
 
 THE B^OIFA' FLY) OR Dl/'-V DR4KE. 
 
 Comes on about the middle of March, and con- 
 tinues till the latter end of April ; its wings are 
 made off the feather of a pheasant's wing, which 
 is full of fine shade, and exactly resembles the 
 wing of the fly ; the body is made of the bright 
 part of hare's fur, mixed with a little of the red 
 part of squirrel's fur, ribbed with yellow silk, and 
 a partridge's hackle wrapt over twice or thrice
 
 THE GRANAM FLY, &C. 123 
 
 under the but of the wing : as it swims do\vn the 
 water, its wings stand upright upon its back, its 
 tail is forked and the colour of its wings : it 
 comes upon the water about eleven o'clock, and 
 continues on till two, appearing on the water in 
 shoals, or great quantities ; in dark gloomy days, 
 at the approach of the least gleam of sun, it is 
 amazing to see, in a moment's time, the surface 
 of the water almost covered with ten thousand 
 of these pretty little flying insects, and the fishes 
 rising and sporting at them, insomuch that you 
 would think the whole river was alive; it is a 
 pleasing sight to the angler, and affords him 
 great diversion. In this manner they appear on. 
 the water every successive day, till the end of 
 their duration. The b'lue dun and the brown 
 are both on at the same time ; the blues are most 
 plentiful in cold and dark days, and the browns 
 in warm and gloomy days ; though I have often 
 seen blues, browns, and granams on at the same 
 time, when they have refused the other two sorts, 
 and have taken the browns only. There cannot be 
 too much said in commendation of this fly, both for 
 its duration and the sport it affords the angler. 
 The size of the hook it is made on is No. 6. 
 
 THE GJIANAM, OR GREEN-TAIL, 
 
 Comes on about the beginning of April, if the 
 weather is warm, being a very tender fly, and 
 cannot endure the cold. When they first appear 
 on the water, they do so in great quantities, in 
 bright mornings : you may begin to fish with 
 them from six o'clock in the morning till eleven ; 
 then you will find the browns come on, which 
 you must use, as the fish will not touch the gra- 
 
 M
 
 124 BEST'S ART or ANOLIJJO. 
 
 nams as long as the browns continue: about five 
 o'clock in the evening you may use the granams 
 again with success, the browns having then to- 
 tally disappeared for that day. The granam-fly 
 is a four-winged fly : as it swims down the wa- 
 ter its wings lie flat on its back ; it has a small 
 bunch of eggs, of a green colour, which gives it 
 the name of the Greentail fly : as soon as it lights 
 on the water, it drops its eggs ; it is of short 
 duration, not lasting above a week, and then 
 totally disappears for that year. The wings arc 
 made from a feather out of the wing of a par- 
 tridge or pheasant, which is shaded like the wing 
 of the fly ; the body is made of the fur from a 
 hare's face, or ear, and a grizzled hackle of a 
 cock wrapt under the but of the wings. The. 
 hook No. 8. 
 
 111E SPIDER FLY 
 
 Comes on about the twentieth of April, if the 
 weather is warm, and continues on about a fort- 
 night : they are bred in beds of gravel by the 
 water side, where you may find them in bunches 
 engendering, to prepare for their production the 
 next year: in cold and stormy days they hide 
 themselves in the gravel, not being ab|,e to endure 
 cold, you may fish with it from sun rise till sun 
 set: being ,a very killing fly, too much cannot 
 be said in its praise. The wings are made from 
 a woodcock's feather, out of the but of the wing ; 
 the body of lead-coloured silk, with a black 
 cock's hackle wrapt twice or thrice under the 
 wings. This fly cannot be made too fine. The 
 hook, No. 8 or 9.
 
 THE LITTLE IllON-BLUE FLY. 125 
 
 THE BLACK CATERPILLAR 
 
 Comes on about the beginning of May, and 
 continues on about a fortnight, and is to be fished 
 with after hot sun-shiny mornings ; if winds and 
 clouds appear, they then grow weak for want of 
 the sun, and full upon the waters in great quan- 
 tities. The wings are made from a feather out 
 of a jay's wing, the body of an ostrich's fea- 
 ther, which is preferable to the plover's, and fine 
 black cock's hackle wrapt over the body. It is 
 a very killing % in small brooks. The hook, 
 No. 7. 
 
 THE LITTLE IRON-SLUE FLY 
 
 Comes on about the seventh of May, and con- 
 tinues on till the middle of June. In co!d stormy 
 days they come down the waters in great quan- 
 tities, but in warm davs there are but few to be 
 seen. As it swims down the water, its wings 
 stand upright on its back ; its tail is forked, and 
 the colour of its wings: it is a re.it curious fly, 
 and cannot be made too fine ; it is to be fished 
 with from about elove;i o'clock in the forenoon 
 till three in the afternoon. When iie.^e flies are 
 on, the fishes refuse every other sort, and take 
 these only, every sort of fish being fond of them. 
 The wings are made from a cormorant's feather 
 that grows under the wing, or oil' the feaiiier of 
 a dark-blue hen, that grows on the body, under, 
 the wings; the body is made of water-rat's fur, 
 ribbed with yellow silk, and a sooty blue hackle 
 of a cock wrapt over the body. The hook, No,. 
 8 or 9. 
 
 M 2
 
 126 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 THE YELLOW SALLY FLY 
 
 Comes on about the twentieth of May, and 
 continues on till about the tenth or twelfth of 
 June. It is a four-winded fly ; as it swims down 
 the water its wings he flat on its back. The 
 wings are made with a yellow code's hackle, and 
 the body of marten's fur, taken from the spots 
 under the jaws, which is a fine yellow. It is one 
 'of those" flies that prepares .the fish to look for 
 the May-fly, or Grcen-divke. The hook, No. 7, 
 
 THE OAK, AS11, WOODCOCK, CANKON, OA DOWNHILL FLY, 
 
 Ccrnes on about the sixteenth of May, and 
 continues on till about a week in June j it is to 
 be found on the buts of trees, with its head al- 
 ways downwards, which gives it the name of the 
 Downhill fly. It is bred in oak-apples, and is 
 the be^t of all flies for bobbing at the bush in the 
 natural way, and a good fly for the dab-line, 
 when made artificially. The wings are made 
 from a feather out of the wing of a partridge or 
 woodcock, the body with a bittern's feather, and 
 the head with a little of the brown part of hare's 
 fur. The hook, No. 7. 
 
 N. B. Some dub it with black wool and Isa- 
 bella-coloured mohair, and bright brownish 
 bear's hair, warped on with yellow silk, but the 
 head of an ash colour ; others dub it with an 
 orange-tawney and black ground, and others 
 with blackish wool and gold twist ; the wings off" 
 the brown part of a mallard's feather.
 
 THE OHL FLY. 127 
 
 THE SHORN FLY 
 
 Comes on about the same time as the Cannon 
 flv, and continues on till the latter end of July. 
 They are generally found in mowing grass; it is 
 of the caterpillar kind, has dusky wings of a 
 dark brown colour, with fine clear blue wings 
 under them, wh ch it makes use of in its flight : 
 it is in greatest perfection in June; and, for the 
 time that it continues on the water, is a most 
 excellent killer in rivers or brooks. There are 
 three sorts of them ; the one I have described : 
 there is another with a dull red wing, and a 
 third with a dark blue wing f all of which the fish 
 take verv well, but the preference must be given 
 to the red sort : it is to be fished with any timt, 
 of the day, from sun-rise to sun-set. The wings 
 are made of a red cock's hackle, with a black list 
 up the middle ; the body with a peacock's her]. 
 The hook No. 6, if for a river ; but if for a dead, 
 heavy, running brook, the fly must be made, 
 larger, as on .No 4 or 5. 
 
 THE ORL FLY 
 
 Cooies on the latter end of May, and continues 
 on till the latter end of June. It is a four-winged 
 fly, generally flutters along the surface of the. 
 \vater, and is what fishes are remarkably fond of; 
 you may fish for it successfully, after the May 
 fly is gone, from four o'clock in the morning- 
 till about seven in the evening, at which time 
 the skv-blue comes on ; then change it for the 
 sky-blue. The wings of the Orl riy are made 
 with a dnrk grizzle cock's hackle, and the body 
 of a peacock's her), worked with dark red silk. 
 The hood No. 6. 
 
 M 3
 
 128 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 THE SKY.COLOURED BLUE 
 
 Comes on about the same time as the orl-fiy, 
 and continues on till the middle of J uly . It is a 
 Dear, curious, and beaut ful hV , its wings are 
 transparent, stand upright upon its back, and 
 are of a fine bine colour; its body is of a pale 
 yellow, its tail forked, and the colour of its 
 wings; it is a fly the fishes take extremely well 
 from seven o'clock in the evening til! sun-set. 
 The wings are made from the light blue feather 
 of a hen, the body is made with pale yellow 
 mohair, mixed with light blue fur, and ribbed 
 v/ith a fine cock's hackle, dyed yellow. The 
 hook No. 8. 
 
 TUB CADIS FLY 
 
 Comes on about the tenth of June ; it is a large 
 four-winged fly, of a buff colour, and its body 
 the same colour of its wings : it continues on 
 the water till about the middle of July ; it is bred 
 from the cod-bair, a curious little inect : while 
 in the state of a grub it is greatly to be admired, 
 the outside husk that it lives in being curiously 
 wrought with gravel or sand. This fly is taken 
 best at the clearing of the water, though I think 
 him a fly worth the least notice of any in the Ca- 
 talogue, there being many sorts far preferable to 
 it. The wings are made from a feather taken 
 from a buff-coloured hen; the body is made of 
 buff-coloured mohair, and the legs of a pale 
 yellow hackle. The hook No. 6.
 
 THE LARGE BLACK A7S T T FLY. 129 
 
 THE BLUE GNAT 
 
 Comes on the water about the same time a$ 
 the spinners, (vide list the 1st under June) and 
 continues on about a fortnight : if the water is 
 low and fine the fishes take them very well, and 
 as long as they remain on the water. The wings 
 of this gnat are made with a small pale blue 
 cock's hackle, and the body with light blue fur, 
 mixed with a little yellow mohair. The hook, 
 No. 8 or 9. 
 
 THE LARGE RED ANT FLY 
 
 - Comes on about the middle of June, if hot and 
 sultry weather, an/i continues on till about the 
 
 ]5th or iGth-of July, appearing mostly in hot, 
 close, gloomy days : it is to be fished with from 
 about eleven o'clock in the forenoon till about 
 six in the evening ; then make use of the even- 
 ing flies described before. The ant-flies, when 
 in perfection, are great killers, and all sorts of 
 fishes that rise at flies are very fond of them ; 
 and you may take fish with them in dead heavy 
 waters, as well as in streams. The wings of this 
 fly are made from a feather out of a stare's wing, 
 and the body of peacock's her], made pretty 
 large at the tail, and fine towards the wing, with 
 a fine ginger-coloured cock's hackle wrapt twice' 
 or thrice under the but of the wings. The hook 
 No. 8. 
 
 THE LARGE BLACK ANT FLY 
 
 Comes on at the same time with the red, and 
 is to be Sshed with at the same time, and after
 
 130 BKST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the Sct.i;e manner. The wings of t 'is fly are 
 made with the lightest sky-blue feather vou can 
 get, and with the greatest gloss; but it is difficult 
 to rind anv that can come up to the glossiness of 
 the natural wings, except the thistle, which 
 makes t em the best of anv thing I know of, but 
 is not lasting ; the body is made \vith a black 
 ostrich's feather, and a black cock's hackle wrapt 
 under the but of the wings : it is to be made in? 
 the same form as the red one. The hook, No. 8. 
 
 1JIE WELCHMAN'S BUTTON, OR HASLK FLY 
 
 Comes on about the latter end of July, and 
 continues on about nine days ; it is in form like 
 a round button, from which it derives its name : 
 i* has four wings, the uppermo-t husky and hard, 
 the undermost of a fine blue colour, soft, and 
 transparent; it is to be found on hazel-trees, or 
 fern : it is an excellent fly for bobbing at the 
 bush, or dub line ; but is rather difficult to make, 
 on account of its shape and form: the wings are 
 made from the red feather that grows upon the 
 rump or tail of a partridge; the bodv is made 
 with a peacock's herl and an ostrich's feather 
 mixed, and the legs of a fine black cock's hackle. 
 The hook, No. T. 
 
 THE LITTLE RED AND SLACK ANT FLIES 
 
 Come on about the tenth or twelfth of August, 
 and are to be seen in warm gloom v days, till the 
 latter end of September : to be fished with from 
 about twei-ve o'clock, ti'l four in the evening, 
 and are to be made in the same form as the large 
 ones, and v/itn t e sume materials, but very 
 small. The hook, No. 9.
 
 THE WILlow FLY. 131 
 
 THE LITTLE WHIRLING BLUE 
 
 Comes on about the tenth or twelfth of August, 
 and continues on about three weeks : as it swims 
 down the water, its wings stand upright. on its 
 back ; it has a forked tail, the colour of its wings: 
 it is to be fished with from eleven o'clock iu the 
 forenoon till three in the afternoon. The wings 
 are made from a feather out of the wings of a 
 starling; the body is made with a spaniel's fur, 
 mixed with a liltle yellow, and a fine red hackle 
 over the body. The hook, No. 8. 
 
 THE LITTLE PALE BLUE 
 
 Comes on about the same time as the Whirling 
 Blue, and continues on till about the latter end of 
 September : as it swims down the water, its wings 
 stand upright on its back,- it has a forked tail, 
 and the colour of its wings : it is a neat, curious, 
 little fly, and what the graylings are very fond 
 of: it is to be fished with from about ten o'clock 
 in the morning till three in the afternoon, and 
 generally affords the angler great diversion. The 
 wings are made from a feather of the sea swal- 
 low : the body is made of the lightest blue fur 
 you can get, mixed with a vers' little yellow mo- 
 hair, with a fine pale blue hackle wrapt over the 
 body. The hook, No. 8. 
 
 THE WILLOW FLY 
 
 Comes on about the beginning of September, 
 and continues on till the latter end of October: 
 it is a four-winged fly, and generally flutters upon
 
 J32 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 the surface of the water : it is to be fished with in 
 cold stormy days, being then most plentiful on 
 the water ; but in warm gloomy days make use 
 of the Pale Blue. The wings are made of a blue 
 grizzled cock's hackle, and the body of the blue 
 part of squirrel's fur, mixed with a little yellow 
 mohair. The hook, No. 7. 
 
 The three last-mentioned flies conclude the 
 season for fly-fishing. From the middle of May 
 till Aug ist you will find great variety of flies 
 and gnats upon the water every day ; so that you 
 must observe it as a general rule to fish with the 
 first flv that comes on in the morning; that fly 
 being the first which is on the water in the day 
 that is first mentioned in every month, and then 
 you will see the other flies and gnats coming 
 down every day in regular succession, every 
 succeeding day till August. The great number 
 of tiics and insects that are on the water all the 
 hot summer months, and the great variety of 
 food that the fi^hee have, both at top and bot- 
 tom, makes them very nice, and more difficult 
 to be taken than in the spring or in the autumn. 
 The great number of flies and insects which are 
 on the water all the summer months, totally 
 disappear about the middle of August, so that 
 your diversion is as certain with the three au- 
 tumnal flies, viz. the Little Whirling Blue, the 
 Pale Blue, and the Willow-fly, as with the 
 tlnee spring Hies, which are the Red fly, the 
 Blue Duu, and the Brown. In these two sea- 
 sons or the year, if the weather is favourable, 
 and water in order, you will find your sport 
 more certain and regular than in the hotter 
 months. This last list of flies may be deemed
 
 THE WILLOW FLY. 133 
 
 the standard of artificial fly-fishing; they are 
 ingenious Bowlker's, of Ludlow in Shropshire. 
 For their excellency they are not to be equalled. 
 They will kill fish in any county of England 
 and Wales, and are what I call The Angler's 
 Treasure. Their names are universally known. 
 As for the flies called Lochaber's Golden Suotys, 
 &c. &c which are to be nn-t with in a late pub- 
 lication, they are not sufficiently known to be 
 of general use. 
 
 Not only these flies that are most useful in 
 the recreation of angling, but myriads more, 
 come under the angler's observation, when in 
 pursuit of his pastime, which will not only riil 
 his mind with wonder and admiration, at the 
 incomprehensible works of Nature, but likewise 
 make him praise that Almighty Power from 
 whom both himself and them derive their 
 being. 
 
 There is so beautiful a passage a-propos to 
 this subject, in Thomson's Summer, that I think 
 the insertion of some part of it must prove ac- 
 ceptable to the informed and pious mind : 
 
 Nor shall the muse disdain 
 
 To let the little lively summer-race 
 Live in her lay, and flutter through her song : 
 Not mean, though simple, to the sun allay'd, 
 From him they draw their animating fire. 
 
 Wak'd by his warmer ray, the reptile young 
 Come wing'd abroad, by the light air upborne, 
 Lighter and flul of soul. From ev'ry chink 
 And secret corner, where they slept away 
 Their wintry storms, or rising from their tombs 
 To higher life, by myriads forth at once 
 Swarming they pour, of all the varied hues 
 Their beauty-beaming parent can disclose. 
 Ten thousand forms, ten thousand different tribes,
 
 134 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 People the blaze. To" sunny waters some . 
 By fatal instinct fly, where on the pool 
 They sportive wheel ; or falling down the stream, 
 Are snatch'cl immediate by the quick-ey'd trout 
 Or darting salmon. Through the green-wood glade 
 Some love to stray, there lodg'd, aiuus'd, and fed, 
 In the fresh leaf: luxurious, others make 
 The meads their choice, and visit ev'ry flow'r 
 And ev'ry latent herb, for the sweet task - 
 To propagate their kinds, and where to wrap, 
 In what soft beds, their young, yet undisclosed, 
 Employs their tender care: some to the house, 
 The fold, and dairy, hungry bend their flight, 
 Sip round the pail, or taste the curdling cheese : 
 Oft, inadvertant from the milky stream 
 They meet their fate, or welt'ring in the bow], 
 With pow'rless wings around them wrap'd, expire. 
 
 Resounds the living surface of the ground; 
 Nor undelightful is the ceaseless hum 
 To him who muses through the woods at noon, 
 Or drowsy shepherd as belies reclin'd, 
 With half-shut eyes beneath the floating shade 
 Of willows grey, close crowding o'er the brook. 
 
 Gradual from these what num'rous kinds descend 
 Evading e'en the miscroscopic eye ! 
 Full' nature swarms with life, one wond'rous mass 
 Of animals, or atoms organiz'd, 
 Wailing; the vital breath, when parent heav'n 
 Shall bid his spirit blow. 
 
 Let no presuming impious railer tax 
 Creative wisdom, as if aught was form'd 
 In vain, or not for admirable ends : 
 Shall little haughty ignorance pronounce 
 His works unwise, of which the smallest part 
 Exceeds the narrow vision of her mind ?
 
 AttTIFICIAL FLY-FISHIXG. 135 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 THE BEST RULES FOR ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHINC. 
 
 IT is the best fishing in a river somewhat dis- 
 turbed with rain, or in a cloudy day, when tb-e 
 waters are moved with a gentle breeze : the south 
 and west winds are the best : and if the winH 
 blows high, yet not so but that you may conve- 
 niently guide your tackle, the fishes will rise in 
 the still deeps ; but if there is little wind stirring, 
 the best angling is in swift streams. 
 
 In casting your line, do it always before you, 
 and in such a manner that the fly may fall first 
 on the water, and as little of your line with it as 
 possible; but if the wind is high, you will then 
 be forced to drown a good part of it, that you 
 may keep the fly on the water ; and endeavour, 
 as much as you can, to have the wind at your back, 
 and the sun in your face; but'the winding of the 
 river will frequently render that impracticable. 
 
 When you throw your line, wave the rod in a 
 small circumference round your head, and never 
 make a return of it before it has had its full 
 scope for if you do the flv will snap off. 
 
 Although when you angle the day is cloudy 
 and windy, and the water thick, you must keep 
 the fly in continual motion, otherwise the fishes 
 will discern the deceit. 
 
 " Upon the curling surface let it glide 
 " With nat'ral motion from your hand supply'd, 
 " Against the stream now gently let it play, 
 " Now in the rapid eddy roll away." 
 
 Let the line he twice as long as the rod, .unless 
 the river is encumbr cd with wood; and always
 
 136 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 stand as far off the bank as the length of your 
 line will permit, when you ca.->t the fly to the 
 contrary side ; but if the wind blows so that you 
 must throw your line on the same side yon are 
 on, stand on the very brink of the river, and cast 
 your fly at the utmost length of the rod and line, 
 up or down the stream as the wind serves. 
 
 You must have a quick sharp eye, and active 
 band, to strike directly a fish rises ; or else, find- 
 ing the mistake, he will spew out the hook. 
 
 Small light coloured flies are for clear waters 
 and clear atmospheres, large dark coloured flies 
 when vice versa. 
 
 When after rain the water becomes brownish, 
 an orange coloured fly is taken greedily. 
 
 When fishes rise at the fly very often, and yet 
 never take it, you ma\ conclude that it is m:t 
 what they like ; therefore change it for one they 
 <lo. 
 
 When you see a fish rise, throw your fly be- 
 yond him, and draw it gently over the place 
 where he rose; and if it is a proper fly for the 
 season, and you cast it with a nicety, the fish is 
 your own. 
 
 Witen you angle in slow running rivers, or 
 still places, with an artificial fly, cast it across the 
 water, and let it sink a little in the water, and 
 then draw it gently over to you again, letting the 
 current carry it slowly down. This i- the best 
 way for slow waters ; but for quick ones your 
 fly must always swim on the top, under the con- 
 tinual inspection of your eyes, which ought, for 
 this kind of angling, to be as snarp as the basi- 
 lisk's. 
 
 It is a good plan always to carry seme dub- 
 bing, gut, hooks, and silk, out with you in a
 
 ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. J3? 
 
 small pocket-book, that you may be able always 
 to imitate any By you see the fish rise at more 
 than others. 
 
 The lighter your flies fall on the water the 
 better; tins you will not accomplish by strength, 
 but by practice, always raising your rod by de- 
 grees, after you have made your cast. A 
 young 1 angler should never use more than one 
 fly on the stretcher at first, but when he can 
 throw out pretty well, he may add to the 
 stretcher one or more droppers, observing always 
 to let them be one yard asunder. 
 
 I shall now conclude these rules by pivingthe 
 reader a passage relating to artificial fly-fishing, 
 (with the alteration only of tivo or three mono- 
 syllables) from the Spring of that elegant and 
 natural descriptive poet, Mr. Thomson, which 
 cannot fail of contributing as well to his amuse- 
 ment as instruction. 
 
 Soon as the first foul torrent of the brooks, 
 Swell'd with the vernal rains, is ebb'd away, 
 And, whit'riing, down their mossv-tinctur'd stream 
 Descends the billowy foam, then is the time, 
 'While yet the dark-brown water aids the guile, 
 To tempt the trout. The well-dissembled fly, 
 The rod rine tap'nng with elastic spring, 
 Snatch'd from the hoary steed the floating line, 
 And all thy slender wat'ry stores prepare ; 
 But let not on thy hook the tonur'd worm, 
 Convulsive twist in agonizing folds, 
 "Which, by rapacious hunger swallowed deep, 
 Gives, as you tear it from the bleeding breast 
 Of the weak helpless uncomplaining wretch, 
 Harsh pain and horror to the tender hand. 
 When with his lively ray the potent sun 
 Has pierc 'd the streams, and rous'd the finny race, 
 Then, issuing cheerful to thy sport repair; 
 Chief should the western breezes curling play, 
 And light o'er ether bear the shadowy clouds,
 
 3SS BEST'S ART OF ANGLING.. 
 
 High to their fount, this day, amid the hills 
 And woodlands warbling round, trace up the brooks; 
 Then next pursue their rocky channePd maze 
 Down to the river in whose ample wave 
 Their little naiads love to sport at large : 
 Just in the dubious point, where, with the pool 
 Is mix'd the trembling stream, or where it boils 
 Around the stone, or from the hollow bank 
 Reverted plays in undulating flow, 
 There throw, nice judging, the delu&ive fly, 
 And as you lead it round in artful curve, 
 With eye attentive mark the springing game: 
 Straight as above the surface of the flood 
 They wanton rise, or, urg'd by hunger, leap, 
 Then fix with gentle twitch the barbed hook; 
 Some lightly tossing to the grassy bank, 
 And to the shelving shore slow dragging some, 
 With various hand, proportion'd to their force: 
 If yet too young, and easily deceiv'd, 
 A worthless prey scarce bends your pliant rod, 
 Him piteous of his youth, and the short space 
 He has enjoy'd the vital light of htav'n, 
 Soft disengage, and back into the stream 
 The speckled captive throw; but should you Inre 
 From the dark haunt, beneath the tangled' roots 
 Of pendent trees, the monarch of the brook, 
 'Behoves you then to ply your finest art. 
 Long time he, following cautious, scans the flyj 
 And oft attempts to seize it, but as oft 
 The dimpi'd water, speaks his jealous fear. . 
 At last, while haply o'er the shaded sun 
 Passes a cloud, he desperate takes the death. 
 With sullen plunge: at once he darts along, 
 Deep struck, and runs out all the lengthened line, 
 Then seeks the farthest ooze, the sheltering wood, 
 The eavern'd bank, the old secure abode; 
 Arid-flies aloft, and flounces round the pool, 
 Indignant of the guile.. With yielding hand, 
 That feels him still, yet to his iurious course 
 Gives way, you, now retiring, following now 
 Across the stream, exhaust his idle rage, 
 Till floating broad upon his breathless side, 
 And to his fate abandon'^, to the shore 
 You gaily drag your unresisting prize.
 
 PRINCIPAL UIVEUS IN ENGLAND. 139 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 OF THE PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND AND^ PARTICU- 
 LARLY THE THAMES. 
 
 THE rivers in England are sard by Dr.Heylin, 
 to be three hundred and twenty-five, though 
 others increase their number to four hundred 
 and fifty. It would be superflous here to treat 
 particularly of their diversities, their situations, 
 their distance and remoteness to each other, 
 their nearness or vicinity to the sea, the qualities 
 of their water, and the various species of fish 
 they contain. Those that have a more imme- 
 diate intercourse with the sea, particularly of its 
 influences, and have the same vicissitudes, the 
 same fluxes and refluxes, the same salt water, 
 and the same sort of fish which frequent those 
 seas where they disembogue themselves. The 
 mouths of the rivers are too deep to be fathomed 
 by the cordage of a line ; but more inland, and 
 the farther distant from the common receptacle 
 of waters, the rivers are most proper for the 
 angler's di version . 
 
 The principal rivers in England are the 
 Thames, Severn, Trent, Tine, Tweed, Medway, 
 Tees, Dove r Isis,Tame r \Villey, Avon, Lea, T re- 
 vel, Lon, Nen,Welland, Daven't, Calder, Wharf, 
 Nid, Don, Swale, Hull, Ouse, and Are. The ri- 
 vers in Wales are reckoned above two hundred, 
 the principal of which are the Dee, Wye,Conwy, 
 
 N 3
 
 140 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 Tivy, Chediayday, CJuid, Usk, Tovy, Taff, and 
 Dovy. Several rivers in England run under- 
 .ground, and then rise again, as a branch of the 
 Medway in Kent ; the Mole in Surrey ; Hans in 
 Staffordshire ; the little rivers Allen in Denbigh- 
 shire, and Deveril in Wilthire ; the river Recall 
 hides itself underground, near Elmsley in the 
 North Riding of Yorkshire ; at Ashvvell in Bed- 
 fordshire, rise so many sources of springs that 
 they soon drive a mi M; at Chedder, near Ax- 
 bridge in Somersetshire, is a- spring that drives 
 twelve miles in a quarter of a- mile. In the midst 
 of the river Nen, south of Peterborough in 
 Northamptonshire, is a deep gulf, called Medes- 
 \veli, so cold, that in summer no swimmer is able 
 to endure it, yet is not frozen in the winter. But 
 of these enough. 
 
 As the maps will give a better prospect of these 
 than any enumeration of them can do, let every 
 angler have a large one of England, or at least of 
 the particular county where he usually angles, 
 and therein he may with delight observe the 
 spring head, scite, distance, various passages, 
 windings, turnings, and confluxes of each parti- 
 cular river, with what towns, castles, churches, 
 gentlemen's teats, and places of note, are on or 
 Bear the banks; making, as he angles, remarks 
 proper to the nature of each. The six principal 
 rivers are as follow: 
 
 1. The Thames, compounded of two rivers, 
 Tame and Isis. The Tame rises in Bucks, be- 
 yond Tame in Oxfordshire, t\nd the latter in 
 Cotswoid-hills, near Cirencester in Gloucester- 
 shire. They meet about Dorchester, in Oxford- 
 shire, and thence run united betwixt that county 
 anil Bucks, and between Buckinghamshire, Mid-
 
 PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 14t 
 
 dlesex,and Essex, on one side, aivl Surrey and 
 Kent on the other, wedding itself to the Kentish 
 Medvvay in the very jaws of the oce;m. T^is. 
 river is said to feel the violence and benefit of 
 the sea more than any other river in Europe, eb- 
 bing and flowing twice a dav, more than sixty 
 miles. Sir Jchn Denhain has given so grand a 
 description of the Thames, in his Coopei's-hill, 
 that [ think the insertion of some part, cannot 
 prove unacceptible to the reader: 
 
 My eye descending from the hill, surveys 
 Where Thames among the wanton vallies strays: 
 Thames, the most lov'd of all the ocean's suns 
 By his old Sire, to his emhraces run, 
 Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea, 
 Like mortal lite to meet eternity ; 
 Tho' with those streams he no resemblance hold, 
 Whose foam is amber and their gravel gold : 
 His genuine and le-s guiity wealth t' explore, 
 Search not his bottom, but survey his snore ; 
 O'er which he kindly spreads his spac.ous wing, 
 And hatches plenty for the ensuing spring; 
 Nt-r then destroys it with too ibnd a sta\% 
 Like mothers which their infants overlay : 
 Nor with a sudden and impetuous wave, 
 Like profuse kings, resumes the weahh he gave. 
 No unexpected inundations spoil 
 The mower's hopes, or mock the ploughman's toil ; 
 But gpd-like his unweary'd bounty flows : 
 First loves to do, then loves the good he does. 
 Nor are his blessings to his banks confined, 
 But free and common as the sea or wind ; 
 When he, to boast or to disperse his stores, 
 Tali of the tribute of his grateful shores, 
 Visits the world, and in his flying tow'rs 
 Brings home to us, and makes both Indies o-.irs, 
 Finds wealth where 'ti?, bestows it where it wants, 
 Cities in deserts, woods in cities, plants. 
 So that to us no thing, no place, is strange, 
 Yi r hilC'hJ3 fair bosom is the world's exchange..
 
 142 BEST'S ART or ANOLIXG. 
 
 The second river of note is the Severn, which 
 lias its beginning in PHnilimmon-hill, in Mont- 
 gomeryshire, and its end seven miles from Bris- 
 tol ; washing in that place the wails of Shrews- 
 bury, Worcester, Gloucester, and divers other 
 places and palaces of note. It receives greater 
 rivers, and is farther navigable than the Thames, 
 but does not equal it for the quantity and quality 
 of its fish. 
 
 3. The Trent (so called on account of the 
 thirty different kinds of fish which are found in 
 it, or because it receives thirty small rivers) has 
 its fountain in Staffordshire, and gliding through 
 the counties of Nottingham, Lincoln, Leicester, 
 and York, augments the turbulent current of the 
 H umber, the most violent stream of all the isle. 
 The Humber is not a distinct river, because it 
 has not a spring head of its own, but is rather 
 the mouth or osstKariumof divers rivers meeting 
 together: among which, besides the Trent, are 
 the Darvent arid Ouse. 
 
 4. The Medway, a Kentish river, rises near 
 Tunbridge, passes by Maidstone, runs by Ro- 
 chester, discharges itself into the mouth of the 
 the Thames, by Sheerness : a river chiefly re- 
 markable for the dock at Chatham, where ships 
 of the first rate are built and repaired for tne use 
 of the' English navy. 
 
 5. The Tweed, the north-east boundary of 
 England, on whose banks is seated the strong and 
 almost impregnable town of Berwick : 
 
 6. The Tine, famous for Newcastle, and its in- 
 exhaustible coal-pits. These, and the rest of 
 principal note, are thus described in one of Mr. 
 Dray ton's sonnets:
 
 PRINCIPAL RIVERS IX ENGLAND. 143 
 
 1. 
 
 The flood's Queen, Thames, (for ships and swans is 
 
 crowu'd, 
 
 And stately Severn for her shore is prab'd; 
 The Chrystal Trent for fords and fish renown'd, 
 And Avon's fame to Albion's cliffs is rais'd : 
 
 2- 
 
 Carlegion Chester vaunts her holy Dee : 
 York many wonders of her Ouse can tell : 
 
 The Peak her Dove, whose banks so fertile be, 
 And Kent will say her Medway doth excel. 
 
 3. 
 
 Cotswold commands her Isis to the Tame : 
 Our northern borders boast of Tweed's fair flood ; 
 
 Otir western parts extol their Willy's tame, 
 And the old Lea brags of the Danish blood. 
 
 But let me return to the Thame?, of which,ar.d . 
 the rivers that fall into it, I shall treat somewhat 
 particularly, as they are more the seat for the di- 
 version of angling than any others. The higher 
 an angler goes up the Thames, if within ahout 40 
 miles, the more sport, and the greater variety of 
 fish he will meet with; but as few Londoners go 
 so far from home, I shall mention the best places 
 for Thames angling from London Bridge to 
 Chelsea. 
 
 But before I proceed any farther on this sub- 
 ject, it will be necessary to lay down some rules 
 which the angler must attend to. 
 
 . if the air is cold and raw, the wind high, the- 
 water rough, or if the weather is wet, it is totally 
 useless to arileinthe Thames.
 
 144 BEST'S AUT OF ANGLING. 
 
 But when the sky is serene, the air temperate, 
 and the water smooth, success will attend you. 
 
 The proper hours for aqgling are from the 
 time that the tide is half-ebbed, to within two 
 hours of the high water, provided the land-floods 
 do not come down. 
 
 Always pitch your boat under the wind : that 
 is, if the wind be in south, then keep on the 
 Surrey shore : if north, on the London side. 
 
 The best places for pitching a boat to angle in 
 the Thames, are about one hundred and fifty 
 yards from York Stairs ; the Savoy, Somerset- 
 house, Dorset Stairs, Black-Friars Stairs, the 
 Dung-Wharf near Water-Lane, Trig Stairs, and 
 Essex Stairs. On Surrey side Falcon Stairs, 
 Barge Houses, Caper's, vulgo Cupid's Stairs, 
 the Windmill, and Lambeth. 
 
 There are very good roach and dace to be 
 caught at Westminster Bridge, if the weather is 
 favourable in Autumn ; the fifth arch on the 
 north-side is best to pitch the boat. 
 
 When you go to angle at Chelsea, on a calm 
 fair day, the Wind being in a right corner, pitch 
 your boat almost opposite the church, and angle 
 in the six or seven feet water, where, as well as 
 at Battersea Bridge, you will meet with plenty of 
 roach and dace. 
 
 Mortlake Deeps is the next place where roach 
 principally resort when the weeds are rotten ; 
 and here are good carp to be very often taken. 
 
 From the side of the Aits opposite to Brent- 
 ford, Isfewortb, and Twickenham, there is very 
 good angling for roach, dace, gudgeons, and 
 perch ; very often you will meet with trout and 
 curp.
 
 PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 145 
 
 Teddington Banks are remarkable for good 
 gudgeons, roach, &c. 
 
 Kingston-wick and Kingston, are famous for 
 barbel, roach, and dace. 
 
 At Hampton and Sunbury there is good an- 
 gling for barbel, roach, dace, chub, gudgeons, 
 and skeggers ; and from the Aits, for trout and 
 large perch. 
 
 Walton Deeps and Shepperton Pool abound 
 with large barbel and dace. 
 
 At and about Windsor is a vast variety of all 
 sorts of fish; but if a man be found angling in 
 another's water, (without leave) he is fined very 
 high by the court of that town, if he only catches 
 a single gudgeon, &c. 
 
 Of the rivers that empty themselves into the 
 Thames, and of others which are not far from it : 
 1 shall begin with those on the north-side. 
 
 1. I i ford river, the upper part of which 
 abounds with roach, dace, and some perch, but 
 between Tlford and the Thames, especially about 
 three miles from the town, there is pike. 
 
 2. Woodford river, stored with perch, chub, 
 roach, and dace. 
 
 3. Strutlord river affords the angler good di- 
 vers. on for roach, dace, chub, perch, &c. 
 
 4. Bow river, having the same fish in it as the 
 Stratfoi^ river. 
 
 5. Hackney river, having plenty of large barbel, 
 chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, eels, and lampreys. 
 In this river the barbels, eels, and gudgeons, are 
 very fine. The river Lea runs here, and the 
 higher you go up it the greater sport you will 
 have: the live-house, near Hoddesdon, (famous 
 for the plot.) is an excellent part to go to for di- 
 version.
 
 BESTS ART OF AXGLING. 
 
 The back waters near Tottenham Miiis abound 
 with fish. 
 
 6. Wulthnm river, besides large barbel, chub, 
 roach, cia^e, gudgeon, and eels, has good store 
 -of fine pike, and some carp. 
 
 7. The New River, pretty well stored with 
 chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, and eels. 
 
 8. Brentford river, a good one formerly, but 
 now much abused by poachers ; but tne angler 
 may meet with some chub, roach, dace, and 
 perch. 
 
 9. Hounslow river, well stored with roach, 
 <lace, perch, pike, and gudgeons. 
 
 1 1. Uxbridge river, excellent for its large and 
 fat trouts ; but as the \vnter is rented, not only 
 leave must be obtained to angle in it; but you 
 must pay so much per pound for what }ou kill. 
 Den ham, near Uxbridge, is a very famous place. 
 
 Having now done with the north side, 1 pro- 
 ceed to the south of the Thames. 
 
 1. Deptford river, now very much deca3-ed, 
 and has but a few fish in it, as roach, dace, and 
 flounders; though by chance you may meet with 
 a trout. 
 
 2. Lewisham river, in which are some good 
 trouts, large roach, chub, gudgeon, perch, and 
 dace. 
 
 3. Wandsworth river, well stored with gud- 
 geons, dace, flounders, perch, pik, and some 
 carp, and trouts j very large silver eels are often 
 taken there. 
 
 4. Mitcham river; its principal fish are trouts. 
 
 5. Merton river, for trouts also. 
 
 6. Carshalton river, abounding with trouts, 
 and other \v-hite fishes. 
 
 7. Mousley river, yielding perch, jack, roach,
 
 PUINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 147 
 
 dace, chub, gudgeons, eels, flounders, barbels, 
 and trouts. 
 
 8. Esher river, good for jacks, perch, chub, 
 roach, dace, gudgeons, eels, flounders, barbels, 
 and trouts. 
 
 9. Cobham river, stored with plenty of good 
 trouts, fat and la, ge, as also dace, perch, chubs, 
 jacks, and gudgeons. 
 
 10. Weybridge river,affording good diversion 
 for carp, some of which weigh eight or nine 
 pounds ; also- jack, roach, dace, flounders, popes, 
 large bleak, barbel, and gudgeons. 
 
 1 1 . By fleet river, wherein are very large pikes, 
 jacks, and tench ; perch, of eighteen inches long ; 
 good carp, large flounders, bream, roach, dace, 
 gudgeons, popes, large chub and eels. 
 
 I shall conclude this account of the Thames, 
 and the principal rivers that fall into and com- 
 pose it, with tne fallowing beautiful lines of Mr. 
 Pope: 
 
 First the fam'd authors of his ancient name, 
 Ths winding Isis, and the fruitful Thame ; 
 The Kennet swift, for silver eels renown'd ; 
 The Lodden slow, with verdant alders crown'd, 
 Cole, whose dark streams his flow'ry islands lave; 
 And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky wave : 
 The blue transparent Vandaiis appears ; 
 The g*lly Lee his sdgy tresses rears ; 
 And sullen Mole, that hides his diving flood ; 
 And silent Daraut, stain' d with Danish blood. 
 
 CHAP,
 
 BESTS ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 OF THE GAME LAWS RELATIVE TO ANGLING. 
 
 Jst. TIIE PENALTY OF FISHING IN PONDS AND OTHER PRIVATE 
 FISHERIES. 
 
 1. ANY may erect a fish-pond without licence, 
 because it is a matter of profit, for the increase 
 of victuals. 2. Inst. 199. 
 
 2. If any trespass in ponds be therefore attain- 
 ted at thesuit of the party, great and lar^e amends 
 shall be awarded according to the trespass ; and 
 they shall have three years imprisonment, and 
 a'ter shall make fine at the king's pleasure, (if 
 t 1 ey rave whereof) and then shall find good surety 
 t! at niter they shall not commit the like trespass : 
 :'nd if they have not whereof to make fine, after 
 three years imprisonment, they shall find Tike 
 surety ; and if they cannot find surety, they 
 shall abjure the realm- And if none sue within 
 the year and day, the king shall have s,uit. 3. 
 Ed. I. c. 20. Note, those are trespassers in 
 ponds, who endeavour to take fish therein. 2. 
 Inst. 200. 
 
 3. If an\* person shall unlawfully break, cut, 
 or destroy, any head or dam of a fish-pond, or 
 shall wrongfully fish therein, with an latent to
 
 GAME LAWS. 149 
 
 take and kill iish, he shnll, on conviction, at the 
 suit of the king, or of the party, at the assizes or 
 sessions, be imprisoned tnrce months, and pay 
 treble damages ; and after the three months 
 expired, shall iind sureties for his good abearing 
 for seven years, or remain in prison till he cloth. 
 5. El. c. 21. s.2. 6. 
 
 4. Whereas divers idle, disorderly, and mean 
 persons, be take themselves to the steal ing, taking, 
 and killing of fish, out of ponds, pools, motes, 
 stews, and other several \vatersandrivers, to the 
 great damage of the owners thereof; it is enact- 
 ed, that if any person shall use any net, angle, 
 hair, noose, troll, or spear ; or shall lay any wears, 
 pots, fish-hooks, or other engines ; or shall take 
 any fish by any means or device whatever, or 
 be aiding thereunto, in any river, stew, pond, 
 mote, or other water, without the consent of the 
 lord or owner of the A\ater ; and be thereof con- 
 victed by confession, or oath of one witness, be- 
 fore one justice, in one month after the offence, 
 every such offender in stealing, taking, or killing- 
 fish, shall for every such offence give to the party 
 injured such recompence,and in such lime as the 
 justice shall appoint, not exceeding treble da- 
 mages ; and moreover shall pay down to the over- 
 seers for the use ot the poor, such sum, not ex- 
 ceeding 10s. as the justice shall think meet; in 
 default of payment, to be levied by distress ; for 
 want of distress to be committed to the house of 
 correction, not exceeding one month, unless he 
 enter into a bond with one surety to the party in- 
 jured,, not exceeding 101. neverto offend in like 
 manner, 22 and 23 C. 2. c. 25. s. 7. And the jus- 
 tice may take, cut, and destroy, all such angles, 
 .spears, hairs, nooses, trolls, wears, pots, tish-
 
 150 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 hooks, nets, or other engines, wherewith such 
 offender shall be apprehended, S. 8. 
 
 Persons aggrieved may appeal to the rext 
 sessions, whose determination shall be final, if no 
 title to any land, royalty, or fishery, be therein 
 concerned. S. 19. 
 
 5. Whereas divers idle, disorderly, and mean 
 persons, have and keep nets, angles, leaps,pilches, 
 and other engines, for the taking and killing of 
 fish out of ponds,waters,rivers, and other fisheries, 
 to the damage of the owners thereof ; therefore, 
 no person hereafter shall have or keep any net, 
 angle, leap, pilche, or other engine for the taking 
 of fish, other than the makers and setters thereof-, 
 and other than the owner and occupier of a river 
 or fishery ; and except fishermen and their ap- 
 prentices lawfully authorized in navigable rivers. 
 And the owner or occupier of the river or fish ; 
 and every other person by him appointed, may 
 seize, detain, and keep to his own use, every net, 
 angle, leap, pilche, and other engine, which he 
 shall find used or laid, or in the possession of any 
 person fishing in any river or fishery, without the 
 consent of the owner or occupier thereof, .n<i 
 also, any person, authorized by a justice's war- 
 rant, may in the day time search the houses, out- 
 houses, and other places, of any person hereby 
 prohibited to have or keep the same, who shall be 
 suspected to have or keep in his custody or pos- 
 session any net, angle, leap, pilche, or other en- 
 gine aforesaid, and seize and keep the satne, to 
 his own use, or cut and destroy the same, as 
 things by this act prohibited to be kept by per- 
 sons of their dgree. 4 and 5 W. c. 23. s. o, 6. 
 
 C>. If any person shall enter into any park or 
 paddock, fenced in and closed, or into any gar-
 
 GAME LAWS. 151 
 
 den, orchard, or yard, adjoining or belonging to 
 any dwelling-house, in or through which park or 
 paddock, garden, orchard, or yard, any stream of 
 water or river shall run or be, or wherein shall be 
 any river, stream, pool, pond, mote, stew, or other 
 Avater, and by any ways, means, or device what- 
 ever,shall steal, take, kill, or destroy, any fish bred, 
 kept, or preserved therein, without the consent of 
 the owner thereof; or shall be aiding or assisting 
 therein ; or shall receive or buy any such fish, 
 knowing the same to be stolen or taken as afore- 
 said ; and shall be convicted thereof at the as- 
 sizes, within six calendar months after the offence 
 committed ; he shall be transported for seven 
 years. And any offender, surrendering himself 
 to a j ustice, or being apprehended , or in custody for 
 such offence, or on any other account, Avhoshfill 
 make confession thereof, ancLa true discovery, on, 
 oath, of his accomplice, or accomplices, so as 
 such accomplice may be apprehended, and shall 
 on trial give evidence so as to convict such ac- 
 complice, shall be discharged of the offence, so 
 by him confessed. 5. G. 3. c. '14. s. 1, 2. 
 
 And if any person shall take, kill, or destror, 
 or attempt to kill, take, or destroy,any fish, in any 
 river or stream, pond, pool, or other water, (not 
 being in any park or paddock, or in any garden, 
 orchard, or yard, adjoining or belonging to any 
 dwelling-house, but in any other enclosed ground, 
 being private property) he shall, on conviction 
 before one justice, on the oath of one witness, 
 forieit 5l. to the owner or owners of the fishery, 
 of such river or stream of water, or of such pond, 
 pool, mote, or qther water: and such justice, on 
 coir >'aint, upou oath, may issue his warrant to. 
 bring the person complained of before hira ; and 
 
 o3
 
 152 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 if he shall be convicted before such justice, or 
 other justice of the county or place, he shall 
 immediately after conviction pay the said penalty 
 of 5l. to such justice, for the use of such person 
 as the same is hereby appointed to be paid unto; 
 and in default thereof,shall be committed by such 
 justice to the house of correction, for any time 
 not exceeding six months, unless the forfeiture 
 shall be sooner paid ; or such owner of the fisli- 
 ery may bring an action for the penalty (within 
 six calendar months after the offence) in any of 
 the courts of record at Westminster. S. 3, 4. 
 
 Provided, that nothing in this act shall extend 
 to subject any persons to the penalties thereof, 
 who.shall fish, take, or kill, and carry away, any 
 fish in any river or stream of water, pond, po6l, 
 or other water, wherein such person shall have a 
 just right or claim to take, kill, or carry away 
 such fish. S. 5. 
 
 7. By the black act, if any person, being 
 armed and disguised, shall unlawfully steal or 
 take away any fish out of any river or pond ; or 
 (whether armed or disguised, or not) shall unlaw- 
 fully and maliciously break down the head or 
 mound of any fish-pond, whereby the fish shall 
 be lost or destroyed, or shall rescue any person in- 
 custody for such offence, or procure any other to 
 join with him therein, he shall be guilty of felony, 
 without benefit of clergy. 
 
 Xdly. RULES CONCERNING THE ASSIZE, AND PRESERVING 
 THE BREED OF FISH. 
 
 1. If any person shall lay or draw any net, en- 
 gine, or other device, or cause any thing to be done 
 in the Severn, Dee, Wye, Teame, Were, Tees,
 
 GAME LAWS. 153 
 
 Ribble, Mersey, Dun, Air, Ouze, Swaiie, Calcler* 
 Wharfe, Eure, Darwent, or Trent, whereby the 
 spawn or fry or' salmon, or any kepper or shedder 
 salmon, or any salmon not 1<S inches from theeye 
 to the extent of the middle of the tail, shall be 
 taken and killed; or shall set any bank ,daui, hedge, 
 stunk, or net across the same, whereby the salmon 
 may be taken, or hindered from passing up to 
 spawn, or shall between July 31, and November 
 12, (except in the Kibble, where they may be 
 taken between Jan. 1, and Sept. 15,) take any 
 salmon of any Kind in any of the said rivers, or 
 shall, after Nov. 1 2, yearly, fish there for salmon, 
 with any net less than 2f inches in the mesh ; he 
 shall, on conviction, in one month, before one 
 justice, on view, confession, or oath of one wit- 
 ness, forfeit 5l and the fish, nets, and engines; 
 half the said sum to the informer, and half to the 
 poor, by distress ; for want of distress, to be 
 itted to the house of correction or goal, not 
 more than three months, nor less than one, to be 
 kept to hard labour, and to suffer such other cor- 
 poral punishmentasthejustice shalltbink fit: the 
 netsand engines to be cut or destroyed, in presence 
 oftliejustice: the banks,dams,hedges,andstanks, 
 to be demolished at the charge of the offender, 
 to be levied in likeinanner: 1. G.st 2. c; 18. s. 14. 
 
 Note. It is not said who shall have the fish ; so 
 that it seems they are forfeited to the king. 
 
 And no salmon out of the said rivers shall be 
 sent to London, under six pounds weight; on pain 
 that the sender, buyer, or seller, on the like con- 
 viction, shall forfeit 5l. and the fish ; half to the 
 informer and half to the poor, by distress; for 
 want of sufficient distress, to be committed to the 
 house of correction or goal, to be kept to hard
 
 154 BEST'S ART OF AKGLI^G. 
 
 labour lor three months, if not paid in the 
 mean time. Id. S. 15. 
 
 And persons aggrieved may appeal to the next 
 Sessions. Id. S. 17. 
 
 2. No salmon shall be taken in the IJumber, 
 Ouze, Trent, Done, Aire, Darwent, YVharfe, Nid, 
 Yore, Swale, Tees, Tine, Eden, or any other water 
 \vheiein salmon are taken, between Sept. 9 and 
 Nov. II. Norshallanyyoun salmon be taken at 
 millpools(norin other places, 13. R.2st.R. si. I.e. 
 19.) from Mid-April to Midsummer, on pain or' 
 having the nets and engines burnt for the first of- 
 fence : for the second, imprisonment for a quarter 
 of a year ; for the third, a whole year ; and, as ihe 
 trespass increaseth, so shall the punishment. And 
 overseers shall be assigned to enquire thereof. 
 13 Ed. 1. st. 1. c. 47. That is, under the great 
 seal, and by authority of parliament. 2. hist. 477. 
 
 And no person shall put in the waters of Tha- 
 mise, Humb'er, Ouze, Trent, nor any other wa- 
 ters, in any time of the year, any nets called 
 stalkers, nor other nets nor engines whatsoever, 
 by which the fry or breed of salmon, lampreys, 
 or any other iish, may in any wise be taken or 
 destroyed : on the like pain. 1 3 R. 2 st. 1. c. 19. 
 
 And the waters of Lon, Wyre, Mersey, RybbvJ, 
 and all other waters in Lancashire, shall he put in 
 defence as to taking of Salmon to Michaelmas to 
 Candlemas, and in no other time of the year. 
 And conservators shaii be appointed in like 
 manner. 13 R. 2. st. 1. c. 19. 
 
 And the justices of the peace (and the mayor, 
 of London, on the Thames and Medvvay,) shall 
 survey the offences in both the acts above-men- 
 tioned ;. and shall survey and search all the wears 
 in such rivers ; that they shati not be very strait 
 for the destruction of such fry and brood, but of
 
 GAME LAWS. 155 
 
 reasonable wideness after the old assize used or 
 accustomed; and they shall appoint nnder-con- 
 servators, who shall be sworn to make like sur- 
 vey, search, and punishment. And they shall 
 enquire in session, as well by their office, us at 
 the information of the under-conservators, of all 
 defaults aforesaid, and shall cause them which 
 shall be thereof indicted, to come before them ; 
 and if they shall be thereof convicted, they shall 
 have imprisonment, and make fine at the discre- 
 tion of the justices ; and if the same be at the in- 
 formation of an under-conservtuor, he shall have 
 half the fine. 17 B. 2, c, 9, 
 
 3. By the 1 Eliz. c. 17. No person, of what 
 estate, degree, and condition soever he be, shall 
 take und kill any young brood, spawn, or fry of 
 figh ; nor shall take or kill any salmon or trouts, 
 not being in season, being kepper and shedder, 
 nor any pike or pikerel, not being in length ten 
 inches fish or more ; nor any salmon, not being in 
 length sixteen inches fish ; nor any barbel, not 
 being in length twelve inches : and no person 
 shall fish, or take fish, by any device, but only 
 with a net or trammel, whereof the mash shall 
 be two inches and a half broad, (angling ex- 
 cepted, and except smelts, loches, minnows,bu!l- 
 heads, gudgeons, and eels;) on pain of forfeiting 
 20s. for every offence, and also the fish, nets, and 
 engines. 
 
 Note. In some editions of the statutes it is 20l. 
 in others 20s. in the records it is not distinguish- 
 able whether it is pounds or shillings. The lat- 
 ter seems more adequate to the offence. 
 
 And the conservators of rivers may enquire 
 hereof by a jury ; and in such case they shall have 
 the fines.
 
 156 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 The leet also may enquire hereof; and then 
 the forfeiture shall go 10 the lord of the leet. 
 And if the steward do not charge the jury there- 
 with lie shall forfeit 40s. bait' to the king, and 
 half to him that shall sue. And if the jury 
 conceal the offence, he may impannel another 
 jury to enquire of such concealment, ; and if it 
 is found, the former jury shall forfeit every one 
 20s. to the lord of the leet. 
 
 And if the offence is not presented in the leet 
 within a year, then it may be heard or determined 
 at the session or assizes, (saving the right con- 
 servators.) 
 
 And by the 33 G. 2, 3, 27. No person shall 
 take, or knowingly have in his possession, either 
 in the water or on shore, or sell or expose to sale, 
 any spawn, fry, or brood of fish, or an unsizea- 
 ble fish, or fish out of season, or any smelt not five 
 inches long: and any person may seize thesame, 
 together with baskets and package, and charge a 
 constable, or other peace-otficer,with the offender 
 and with the goods, who shall carry them before 
 a justice; and on conviction before such justice, 
 thesame shall be forfeited and delivered to the 
 prosecutor; and the offender shall beside forfeit 
 ^Os. to be levied by distress, by warrant of such 
 justice, and distributed, half to the prosecutor, 
 and half to the poor of the parish where the of- 
 fence was committed, (and any inhabitant of 
 such parish, nevertheless may be a witness^) for 
 want of sufficient distress, to be committed to 
 the house of correction> to be kept to hard la- 
 bour for any time not exceeding three months, 
 unless the forfeiture be sooner paid. Provided 
 that the justice may mitigate the said penalty, 
 so as not to remit above one half. Persons ag-
 
 PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATHER. 137 
 
 grieved may appeal to the next sessions : And 
 the form of the conviction may be this; 
 
 Be it remembered, that on this day of 
 in the year of the reign of G. B. 
 
 is convicted before me one of his 
 
 Majesty's justices of the peace, for the of 
 
 for and I do sdjudge him 
 
 to pay and forfeit the sum of . Given under 
 my hand and seal the day and year abovesakl. 
 S. 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19- 
 
 4. -, 
 to stand 
 an 
 
 . No person shall fasten any nets over rivers, 
 Land continually day and night, on pain of 
 hundred shillings to the king. 2. IJ. 6. 
 5. 
 
 Our plenteous streams a various race supply, 
 The bright-eye'd perch, with fins of Tyriau dye, 
 The silver eel in shining volumes roll'd, 
 The yellow carp, in scales be-dropp'd with gold, 
 Swift trouts, diversified with crimson stains, 
 And pikes, the tyrants of the wat'ry plains. 
 
 POPE'S WINDSOR FOREST. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATHER, INDEPENDENT OF THE BA- 
 ROMETER, EXTRACTED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES. 
 
 AS it is highly necessary that an angler should 
 be able to form a judgment of the change of 
 weather, on which his sport entirely depends; if 
 he observes the following signs, it will soon be- 
 come familiar to him.
 
 158 BEST'S AIIT OF ANGLING. 
 
 SIGNS FROM VAPOURS. 
 
 If a white mist in an evening or night is spread 
 over a meadow, wherein there is a river, it will 
 be drawn up by the next morning sun, and the 
 day will be bright afterwards. 
 
 Where there are high hills, and the mist which 
 hangs over the lower lands draw towards the hills 
 iu a morning, and rolls up their sides till it covers 
 the top, there will be no rain. 
 
 In some places, if the mist hangs upon the 
 hills, and drags along the woods, instead of over- 
 spreading the level grounds, in a morning, it will 
 turn to rain; therefore to judge rightly of the 
 appearances of a fog, it is in some degree ne- 
 cessary to be acquainted with the nature of the 
 country. 
 
 SIGNS FROM THE CLOUDS. 
 
 It is a very considerable symptom of fair wea- 
 ther, when the clouds decay, and dissolve them- 
 selves into air; but it is otherwise when they are 
 collected out of it. 
 
 In nubem cogiter aer. VIRGIL. 
 
 Against heavy rain, every cloud rises bigger 
 than the former, and all the clouds are in a grow- 
 ing state. 
 
 This is most remarkable on the approach of 
 a thunder-storm, after the vapours have been co- 
 piously elevated, suspended in the sky by the heat, 
 and are highly charged with electrical fire ; small 
 fragments of flying clouds increase and assemble 
 together, till in a short space of time they cover 
 tb; sky.
 
 SIGNS FROM TIIR DEW. !.)<) 
 
 When the clouds are formed likerleeces, deep, 
 and dense towards the middle, and very white 
 at the edjes, with the sky very bright and blue 
 about them, they are of a fiosty coldness, and 
 will soon fall either in hail, snow, or in hasty 
 showers of raiji. 
 
 If clouds are seen to breed high in the air, in 
 thin white trains, like locks of wool, or the tails 
 of horses, they shew thai the .vapour, as it is 
 collected, is irregularly spread and scattered by 
 contrary winds above; the consequence o 1 ' which 
 A\ ill soon be a wind below, and prol.ab,y a rain 
 with 'it. 
 
 If the clouds, as they come forward, seem to 
 diverge from a point in the horizon, a wind may 
 be expected from that quarter, or the opposite. 
 
 When n general cloudiness covers the sky 
 above, and there are small black fragments of 
 clouds, like smoke, flying underneatS, which 
 some call messengers, and other's Noah's Ark, 
 because they sail over the other clouds, like the 
 ark upon the water.-, rain is not far off', and it will 
 probably be lasting. 
 
 Their is no surer sign of rain than two different 
 currents of clouds, especially if the undermost 
 flies fast before the wind ; and if two such cur- 
 rents appear in the hot weather of the summer, 
 they shew that a thunder storm is gathering : but 
 the preparation which precedes a storm of thun- 
 der, is so generally understood, that it is need- 
 less to insist upon it minutely. 
 
 SIGNS FROM THE DEW. 
 
 If the dew lies plentifully upon the grass after 
 a fair day, another fair day may be expected to
 
 160 BUST'S AtlT OF AN'GLIXCJ. 
 
 succeed it; but if after such a day thereU.no 
 clew upon the groui.d, aucl.no wind stinmg, it is 
 i\ sign that the vapouis go upwards, and that 
 there will be an accumulation above, which must 
 .terminate in rain. 
 
 6IGXS FROM THE FACE OF THE SKY. 
 
 If those vapours which the heat of the day 
 raises from the e<uih,are precipitated bv the cold 
 air of the night, then the sky is clear in the 
 morning; but if this does not happen, and they 
 remain still in the air, the light of the morning 
 will be coloured as it was in the evening, and 
 rain will be the consequence. 
 
 There is commonly either a strong dew, or a 
 mist over the ground, between a red evening and 
 a grey morning; but if a red morning succeeds, 
 .there is no dew. 
 
 It is a bad symptom when a lowering redness 
 is spread too far upwards from the horizon, either 
 in t;ie morning or in the evening ; it is succeeded 
 cither by rain or wind, ard fiequently both. 
 
 When such a fiery redness, t gether with a 
 ragged ness of the clouds, extends towards ll.e 
 zenith in an evening, the wind will be high from 
 the west or south-west, attended with rr.in, some- 
 times with a flood : before the late dreadful hur- 
 ricane of 1T80, at Barbadoes, and the other 
 .West-India Islands, a redness like fire was ob- 
 served all over the sky. When the sky, in a 
 rainy .season, is tinged with a sea-green colour, 
 near the horizon, when it ought to be blue, the 
 rain will .continue and increase; if it is of a 
 deep dead blue, it is abundantly loaded with va- 
 pours, and the weather will be showery.
 
 SIGNS FROM THE SUN, &C. l6l 
 
 SIGNS FROM THE SUN*, MOON, AND STARS. 
 
 When there is b haziness aloft in the air, so 
 that the sun's light lades by decrees, and his orb 
 looks whitish and iJI-derirted, it is one of the 
 most certain signs of r.mi. 
 
 If the moon and stars grow dim in the night, 
 with the like haziness in the air, and a ring or 
 hole appears round the moon, rain will be the 
 consequence. 
 
 If die rays of the sun, brooking through the 
 cloud-, are visible in the air, and appear like 
 those horns of irradiation which painters usually 
 place upon the head of Moses, tfie air is sensibly 
 filled with vapours, vhicli reflect the rays -to the 
 aigUt,and those vapours will soon produce rain. 
 
 If the *un appears \\hite at bis selling, or 
 shorn of his ruy*, or goes* down into ft batik o 
 chuuis, >vhU:b Ji<? in ibe hori/oit ; ?d.l thc^e me 
 sign* of upproHchiug or continuing b*d 
 
 Jf ib? moon look* pale a id dim, we are to ex- 
 pect ruin ; if red, it is a sign of wind ; and if 
 white, and of her natural colour, fti'd the sky 
 clear, it will be fair weather, according to a poe- 
 tical adage. 
 
 If a new moon happens at twelve ?it night, 
 rain is lately observed to fol'ow, 
 
 LUNA PLUIT, RUBICUNDA FLAT, ALBA SCRENAT. 
 
 If the moon is rainy throughout her course.it 
 will clear up at the ensuing change, and the rain 
 will probably commence again in a few days af- 
 ter, and continue ; if, on the contrarv, the moon 
 has been fair throughout, and it rains at the 
 change, the fair ueather will probably be res-
 
 16'2 BEST'S AHT OF ANO LING. 
 
 to red about the fourth or fifth day of the moon, 
 and continue as before : 
 
 Sin ortu quarto (namque iscctissimus auctor) 
 Para, neqneobtusis ] er coehim rornibus ibit, 
 Tutus e>. il!e dies, et qui nasn ntur ab illo 
 KxacUun ad mensem, pluvian vent.sqne carebuut. 
 
 V 1R< : . G'KOkOF. 132. 
 
 B'it fournijrhls dd, (for that's tho surest sign.) 
 With sharpeu'd horns, it'i; criouis then sli3 shine s 
 Next day, t.ut OD| V V tLat, but all ilie luoou, 
 'Till hi i rcvulving ruce bcwiioll^ run, 
 Ase vO;d of tempests, 
 
 DttYDEN. 
 
 N. P. A gentleman who cuts hay for his own 
 consumption, Will seldom fail to find his account 
 in uiUi'iM,;^ i:iis observatity.. ; but a farmer uho 
 has much business, to dp, rannot contract hi& 
 \vosk into so ^tnai! socoui()ass, ns to save himself 
 by t he benefit of this observation, because so;ne 
 of his work must be done to make \vay for the 
 rest. 
 
 SIGNS FROM 
 
 When the wind veers about, uncertainly, to 
 several points of the compass, rain is pretty sure 
 to follow 
 
 Some have remarked, that if the wind, as it 
 veers about, foliyvvs the course of the sun, from 
 the east towards the we?t, it brings fair weather ; 
 if the contrary, foul; but there is no prognostic 
 of rain more infallible, than a whistling or howl- 
 inu; noise of the wind. 
 
 FROM NOCTURNAL METEORS. 
 
 When an .Aurora borealis appears, after somq 
 warm days, it is generally succeeded by a coldness
 
 SIGN'S OF THE WEATHER. l63 
 
 of the air; as if the matter of heat was earned 
 upwards from the earth to t'ie sky. 
 
 SIGNS OP THE 'CHANGE OF WEATHER FROM THS A>7IMAL 
 CREATION. 
 
 So long as the swallows fly aloft after their 
 prev, we chink ourseles sure of a serene sky ; 
 but when they skim along near the ^muiid, or 
 the surface of the viter, we jud^e the rain is not 
 far off, and the observation will seldom fail: in 
 the year 1775, a draught of three months conti- 
 nuance broke up at the summer solstice: the day 
 before the rain came upon us, the swallows flew 
 very m-ar the ground, which they had never done 
 in the fiV.e weather. 
 
 In the mountainous country of Derbyshire, 
 which goes by the name of the Peak, the inhabi- 
 tants observe, that if the sheep wind up the hills 
 in the iiTorning to their pasture, and feed near the 
 tops, the weather, though cloudy and drizzling, 
 which is very freqi.ently the case in those parts, 
 will clear away by degrees, and terminate in a 
 fine day ; hut if they feed in the bottoms, the 
 rains will continue and increase. 
 
 Dogs grow sleepy a'ul stupid before rain, and 
 shew that their stomachs re out of order, by re- 
 fusing their food, and eatingrass,thatsort which 
 is hence called dog's grass; this they casUipagain 
 so<n afterwards, and with it the foulness that of- 
 fended their stomachs. Water fowl dive and wash 
 themselves more than ordinary ;. and even the fish 
 in rivers are affected, because ail anglers agree, 
 that they never bite freely when rain is depend?. 
 in-, Vide part 1st, rule I'ith. Flies, on the coiir 
 trary, are particularly troublesome, and seem to 
 more hungry than usual ; and toads are seeii in
 
 l64 BEST'S ART OF ANGLIXG. 
 
 the evening, crawling across the road, or beaten 
 path, where they seldom appear but when they 
 are restless With an approaching change. 
 
 Before any considerable quantity of' rain is to 
 fall, must living creatures are affected in such 
 sort, as> to render them some way sensible of its 
 approach, and of the access of something new to 
 the surface of the earth, and of the atmosphere. 
 Moles work harder than ordinary, they throw up 
 move ear th,and sometimes come forth : the worms 
 do so too : ants are observed to stir about, and 
 bustle more than usually for some time, and then 
 letiie to their burrows before the rain fail?. All 
 sorts of insectsandMies are more stirring and busy 
 than ordinary. Bees are ever on this occasion hi 
 fullest employ; but betake themselves all to their 
 hives, if not t-oo far for them to reach before the 
 storm arise?. The common flesh-flies are more 
 bo!d and greedy : snails, frogs, ar.d toads, appear 
 disturbed- and uneasy. Fishes are sullen, and 
 made qualmish by the water, now more turbid 
 than before. Birds of all sorts are in action ; crows 
 are more earnest after their prey, as are also swal- 
 lows and other small biids, and therefore they 
 fall lower, and fiy nearer to the earth in search 
 of insects and other such things as they feed 
 upon. W hen the mountains of the north begin 
 to be capped with fogs, the moor-cocks and other 
 birds quit them, fly off in flocks, and betake 
 themselves to the lower lands for the time. Swine 
 discover great uneasiness ; as do likewise sheep, 
 cows, and oxen, appearing more solicitous and 
 eager in pasture than usual. Even mankind 
 themselves are not exempt from some sense of a 
 \ihange- in their bodies,
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUF.P. 'l6'5 
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 
 
 ]. " A dark, thick sky, lasting for some time 
 without either sun or rain, always become first 
 fair, then foul, i. e." Changes to a fair, clear sky, 
 before it turnsto rain. Thi^the Rev. >fr. Clarke, 
 who kept a register of the weather for thirty- 
 years, since put into Mr. Derham's hands, by Iris 
 grandson, the learned Dr. Samuel Ciarke : this, 
 he says, he scarce ever knew to fail ; at least 
 when the wind was in any of the easterly points : 
 but Mr. Derham has observed the rule to hold 
 good, be the wind where it will. And the cause 
 is obvious : the atmosphere is replete with va- 
 pours, which, though sufficient to reflect and in- 
 tercept the sun's rays from us, yet want density 
 to descend ; and while the vapours continue in 
 the same state, the weather will do ?o to. 
 
 Accordingly, such weather is Generally attend- 
 ed with moderate warmth, and with little or no 
 wind to disturb the vapours, and an heavy at- 
 mosphere to sustain them, the barometer being 
 commonly high. But when the cold approaches, 
 and by condensing, drives the vapours into 
 clouds or drops, then way is made for the sun- 
 beams ; till the same vapours being, by further 
 condensation, formed into rain, fail down into 
 drops. 
 
 2. " A change in the warmth of the weather, 
 is geueally followed by a change in the 
 wind." Thus, the northerly and southerly 
 winds, commonly esteemed the rausesof cold and 
 warm weather, are really the effects of the cold 
 or warmth of the atmosphere : of which Mr. Der- 
 ham. assures us he has had so many confirm a-*
 
 ]6'6' BEST'S ART OF ANULING. 
 
 tions, that he makes no doubt of it. Thus it is 
 common to see a warm southerly wind suddenly 
 changed to the north, by a fall of snow or hail ; 
 or to see the wind, in a cold frosty morning, 
 north, when the sun has .well warmed ihe earth 
 and air, wheel towards the south ; and again turn 
 northerly and easterly in a cold evening. 
 
 3. " Most vegetables expand their flowers 
 and down in sun-shiny weather, and towards the 
 evening ; and against rain close them again ;" 
 especially at the beginning of their flowering, 
 when tin ir seedsare tender and sensible. This is 
 \Bibleenough in the down of the dandelion, and 
 other downs; and eminently in the flowers of 
 pimpernel, the opening and shutting of which, 
 Gerard observes, are the countryman's weather- 
 wiser, whereby lie tells the weather of the fol- 
 lowing day. The rule is, if ihe flowers are close 
 shut up, it betokens rain and foul weather; if 
 they are spread abroad, fair weather. Ger. Hef b. 
 Lib 2. 
 
 E*t ft alia (arbor in Tylis) similis, foh'osis 
 tatne-n, rost ique fio'is ; qitetn noctu comprimen. 
 aperire in< ivit solus exhorlu, meridie expandit. 
 Jncoloe dormire cum dicunt. Piin. &at. Hist. 
 Lib. 12. c. 2. 
 
 The stalk of trefoil, my Lord Bacon observes, 
 I welts again strains, andgrows more upright ; and 
 the like may be observed, though not so sensibly 
 in the stalks of mo>t other plants. He adds, 
 that in the stubble fields there is found a small 
 red flower, called by the country people zcinco- 
 pipt ; which opening in the morning, is a sure 
 indication * of a fine day. 
 
 That vegetables should be affected by the same 
 that affect the weather, is very conceiv-
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. I Cf 7 
 
 able ; if we consider them as so many hydro- 
 meters and thermometers, consisting of an infi- 
 nite number of tracheae or air vessels, by which 
 they have an immediate communication with 
 the air, and partake of it-; moisture and heat,&c. 
 These trachea are very visible in the leaf of the 
 scabiose, vine, &c. 
 
 Hence it is, that all wood, even the harcbst 
 and most solid, swells in insist weather; the va- 
 pours easily insinunfing themselves into the 
 pores thereof, especially of that which is lightest 
 aiuJ driest. And hence we derive a very extra- 
 ordinary use of wood, viz. for breaking roeks and 
 mill-stones. The method at the quarrieM is this : 
 Having cut a rock into a cylinder, they divide 
 that inlo several lesr;ercylinders, by making lie tea. 
 at the proper distances round the great one : 
 th.es? holes they till with so many pieces of sal- 
 low wood, dried in an oven ; which, in moist 
 weather, becoming impregnated with the humid: 
 corpuscles of the air, swell ; and, -like wedges, 
 break or cleave the rocks into several stones. 
 
 The speedy drying of the surface of the earth, 
 is a sign of a northerly wind and fair weather; 
 and its becoming moi>t, of southerly wind and 
 rain. Hence the fanner may be instructed, never 
 to trust a sun-shiny day, while the surface of 
 the earth continue-, wer ; and to rely on a change 
 to dry weather, as soon as he observes the mois- 
 ture dried up, even though the appearance of the 
 clouds should not be favourable ; for the air 
 sucks up all the moisture on the surface of the 
 earth, even though the skv be overcast, and that 
 is a sure sign of fair weather,- but if the earth 
 continues moist, and water stands in shallow 
 places, no trust shoulh 1 be put in the clearest sky, 
 for in this case it is deceitful.
 
 l6S BKST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 r ; 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 , MORE S/GYS FROM ANIMALS. 
 
 AGAINST rain fleas bite more than common, 
 spiders crawl abroad, bees stir not fur from their 
 hives. On the contrary, spiders' webs in the 
 air, or on the grass or trees, ibietel very fair and 
 hot weather ; so do bees when they fly fur from 
 their hiveo, and tome late home ; and likewise a 
 more than usual appearance of glow-worms by 
 Might, If gnats piny up and down in the open 
 mr near sunset, they presage heat, if in the 
 shade j warm and mild showers; but if ibey join 
 in stinging tbost- that pass by them, cuUl w^rt- 
 Iber titui imu'h rain may be espa^t'd, L?nks 
 ming very high, am) vontimfag t *ing for a 
 Jong time, nnd kiles flying aloft, are sign* ( f fair 
 and dry weather, In myn, frequently nche#, 
 woundg, and corn, are more troublesome, either 
 towards rain or towards frost. 
 
 Virgil's beautiful description of this sense in 
 animals, js thus rendered by Mr. Dryden: 
 
 Wet weather seldom hurts the most unwise; 
 
 So plain the signs, such prophets are the skies; 
 
 The wary crane (brtsees it hrst, and sails 
 
 Above the storm, and leaves the hollow vales : 
 
 The cow looks up, and from afar can find 
 
 The change ot' heiv'n, and snuffs it iivthe wind. 
 
 The swallow skims the river's watry face, 
 
 The I'ro^s renew the croaks ot their loquacious race, 
 
 The careful ant her secret cell forsakes, 
 
 And draws her eggs along t,he narrow tracks.
 
 PROGNOSTIC'S CONTINUED. 
 
 Huge Hocks of rising rooks forsake their food, 
 And tryiiJii, seek the shelter of the wood; 
 Besides, the several sorts of wat'ry fowls, 
 That swim the seas or haunt the standing pools, 
 Then lave their backs with sprinkling dews in vain, 
 And stem the stream to meet the promis'd rain. 
 Then, after showers, 'tis easy to descry, 
 ' Returning suns, and a serener sky. 
 
 ****** 
 
 Their litter is not toss'd by sows unclean, 
 
 ****** 
 
 And owls, that mark the setting sun, declare 
 
 A star-light ev'ning, and a morning feir. 
 
 ****** 
 
 Then thrice the ravens rend the liquid air, 
 And croaking notes proclaim the settled fair: 
 Then round their airy palaces they rly 
 To greet the sun, and seiz'd with secret joy 
 When storms are overblown, with food repair 
 To their forsaken nests and callow care. 
 
 The crow has been particularly remarked by 
 the indents to presage rain, when she caws, and 
 walks alone on the sea-shore, or on the banks of 
 rivers and pooh. Thus Virgil, m the first 
 Georgic. 
 
 Turn cornix rauca pluviam vocat improba voce, 
 Et sola in sicca secum spatiatur arena. 
 
 The crow with clamourous cries the shower demands, 
 And single stalks along the desert sands. 
 
 DllYDEN. 
 
 Pliny makes the same observation, in the 35th 
 chap, of his 18th book . Et cum terrestes volu- 
 cres contra aquasclangores fundentes sese sed 
 maxiine cornix : " It is a sign of rain, when land 
 fowl, and especially crows, are clamourous near 
 waters, and wash themselves."
 
 170 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 Horace also expresses himself to the same pur- 
 pose, in the 17 tli Ode of the third book, where 
 he says, 
 
 Aquae nisi fallit augur, 
 Annosa comix. 
 
 " unless in vain 
 
 Croaks the old crow presaging rain." 
 
 Likewise in the 27 th Ode f>f the same book, 
 he calls the cra\v,divinam imbrium imminentium ; 
 prophetic of impending showers. 
 
 WORE PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATHER TAKEN FROM THE 
 SUN, MOON, AND STARS. 
 
 1st Rule. If the sun rise red and fiery, wind 
 and rain. 
 
 2d Rule. If cloudy, and the clouds soon de- 
 crease, certain fair weather. 
 
 These rules may he extended to all the hea- 
 venly bodies; for as their rays pass through the 
 atmosphere, the vapours iu the air have the same 
 effect on each. 
 
 When the farmer thereforeseesthe sun or moon 
 rise or set red and fiery, or sees the clouds and 
 horizon of that colour, he may expect wind and 
 rain, owing to the unequal distribution of the 
 vapours, or to their being already collected into 
 Watery globules by some preceding cause 
 
 But if, according to the second rule, the stm 
 rises cloudy, and the clouds soon decrease, the 
 vapours are more equally distributed in the at- 
 mosphere ; which equal distribution is also pro-
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 171 
 
 moted by the warmth of the rising sun. Hence 
 we may account for an observation adopted into 
 all languages. 
 
 The evening red, the morning grey, 
 Are sure signs of a fair day. 
 
 Forif the abundance of vapours denoted by the 
 red evening sky fall down in dew, or is other- 
 wise so equally dispersed in the air, that the 
 morning shall appear grey, we may promise our- 
 selves a fair day, from that equal state of the at- 
 mosphere. 
 
 If in the morning some parts of the sky appear 
 green between the clouds, while the sky is blue 
 above, stormy weather is at hand. 
 
 The great Lord Bacon gives us the following 
 rules to judge of the ensuing weather, from the 
 first appearance of the moon : and it issaid that 
 these rules of his have never been known to 
 fail. 
 
 If the new moon does not appear till the fourth 
 day, it prognosticates a troubled air for the 
 whole month. 
 
 If the moon, either at her first appearance, or 
 within a few days after, has her lower horn ob- 
 scured or dusky, or any ways sullied, it denotes 
 foul weather before the full ; but if she be dis- 
 coloured in the middle, storms are to be expected 
 about the full ; or about the wane, if her upper 
 horn is affected in like manner. 
 
 When the moon, on her fourth day, appears 
 fine and spotless, her horns unblunted, and nei- 
 ther flat nor quite erect, but betwixt both, it 
 promises fair weather for the greatest part of the 
 month .
 
 172 BEST'S ART OF 
 
 An erect moon is generally threatmng and un- 
 favourable, but particularly denotes wind ; 
 though if she appear with short and blunted 
 horns, rain is rather expected. 
 
 Most of- the foregoing rules are taken from 
 the following beautiful passage of Virgil : 
 
 Observe the daily circle of the sun, 
 
 And the short year of each revolting moon : 
 
 By them then shall foresee the following day ; 
 
 Nor shall a starry night thy hopes betray. 
 
 When first the moon appears, if then she shrouds 
 
 Her silver crescent, tipp'd with sable clouds: 
 
 Conclude she bodes a tempest on the main, 
 
 And brews for fields impetuous floods of rain. 
 
 Or if her face with fiery flushings glow, 
 
 Expect the rattling winds aloft lo blow. 
 
 But four nights old (tor that's the surest sign) 
 
 With sharpened horns, if glorious then she shine, 
 
 Next day, not only that, but all the moon, 
 
 Till her revolving race be wholly run, 
 
 Are void of tempests both by sea and land. 
 
 * * * * ' # * 
 
 Above the rest, the sun, who never lies, 
 Foretels the change of weather in the skies; 
 For if he rise unwilling to his race, 
 Clouds on his brow, and spots upon his face; 
 Or if thro' mists he shoots his sullen beams, 
 Frugal of light, in loose and straggling streams; 
 Suspect a drizzling day with southern rain. 
 #**** 
 
 Or if Aurora, with half-open'd eyes, 
 And a pale skkly cheek, salute the skies ; 
 How shall the vine, her tender leaves defend 
 Her teensing clusters when the storms descend ; 
 
 #**** 
 
 But more than all the setting sun survey, 
 
 When down the steep of heav'n he drives the day : 
 
 For oft we find him finishing his race, 
 
 With various colours erring on his face; 
 
 In fiery red his glowing globe descends, 
 
 High winds and furious tempests he portends ;
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 173 
 
 But if his cheeks are swoln with livid blue, 
 H<? bodes wet weather by his wat'ry hue ; 
 If dusky spots are varied on his brow, 
 And streaked with red, a troubled colour shew, 
 That sullen mixture shall at once declare 
 Winds, rain, and storms, and elemental war. 
 * * * * * * 
 
 But if with purple rays he brings the light, 
 And a pure heav'n resign to quiet night; 
 No rising winds, or falling storms are nigh. 
 
 MORE PROGNOSTICS TAKEN FROM THE CLOUDS. 
 
 3d Rule. Clouds large, like rocks, great 
 bowers. 
 
 4th Rule. If small clouds increase, much rain. 
 
 5th Rule. If large clouds decrease, fair wea- 
 ther. 
 
 6tb Rule. In summer or harvest, when the 
 wind has been south two or three days, and i't 
 grows very hor, and you see clouds rise with 
 great white tops, like towers,, as it' one were on th'e 
 top of ano-ther, and joined together with black 
 on the nether side, there will be thunder and rain 
 suddenly 
 
 7th Rule. If two such clouds rise, one on 
 either hand, it is time to make haste to shelter. 
 
 Mr. Worlidge gives us the following rules : 
 
 " In a fair clay, if the sky seems to be dappled 
 with white clouds, (which is usually termed a." 
 inackarel sky) it generally predicts rain.'"' 
 
 This is confirmed by a very ingenious gentle- 
 man, who has constantly observed, that "in dry 
 weather, so soon as clouds appear at a great
 
 17-1 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 height, striped like the feathers in the breast of 
 a hawk, rain may be expected in a day or so " 
 
 " In a clear evening, certain small black clouds 
 appearing, are undoubted signs of rain to follow : 
 or, if black or blue clouds appear near the sun, 
 at any time of the day, or near the moon by 
 night, rain usually follows." 
 
 t( If small vvaterish clouds appear on the tops 
 of hills, rain follows." 
 
 " If clouds grow, or appear suddenly, the air 
 otherwise free from clouds, it denotes tempests 
 at hand, especially if they appear to the south 
 or west." 
 
 If many clouds, like fleeces of wool, are scat- 
 tered fiom the east, they foretelrain within three 
 day P. 
 
 When clouds settle upon the tops of moun- 
 tains, they indicate hard weather. 
 
 When the tops of mountains are clear, it is a 
 sign of fair weather. 
 
 MORE PRO6XOSTICS TAKEN FROM MIST. 
 
 8th Rule. If mists rise in low grounds and soon 
 vanish, fair weather. 
 
 9th Rule. If it rises up to the hill tops, rain in. 
 a day or two. 
 
 10th Rule. A general mist before the sun rises, 
 near the full moon, tair weather. 
 
 MORE PROGNOSTICS TAKEN FROM RAIN. 
 
 ilth Rule. Sudden rains never last long: but 
 when the air grows thick by degrees, and the 
 sun, moon, and stairs, shine dimmer and dimmer, 
 it is likely to rain six hours usually. 
 
 12th Rule. If it begins to rain from the south, 
 with a high wind, for two or three hours, and the
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 175 
 
 viud falls, but the raiii continues, it is Meiy to 
 rain twelve hours or more ; and does usually 
 rain til! a strong north wind clears the air ; 
 these Ipng rains seldom hold above twelve hours, 
 or happen above once tt^ear. " In an inland 
 country," says Mr. Mills, " it may not rain for 
 more than twelve hours successively ; but I 
 doubt this will not hold as a general rule, either 
 of its duration or frequency, in all places ; for 
 near the sea rains happen often which last a 
 whole day. 
 
 13th ttule. If it begins to rain an hour or 
 two before sun-rising, it is likely to be fair be- 
 fore noon, and to continue so that day ' but if 
 the rain begins an hour or two after sun-rising, 
 it is likely to rain all that day, except the rain- 
 bow be seen before it rains. 
 
 Mr. Worlidge's signs of rain are the following. 
 
 (e The audibility of sound are certain prognos- 
 tics of the temper of the air in a still evening ; 
 for if the air is replete with moisture over us, it 
 depresses sounds, so that they become audible 
 lo a greater distance than when the air is free 
 from such moisture and vapours. From whence 
 you may conclude, that in such nights, or other 
 times, when you hear the sound of bells, noise 
 of water, beasts, birds, or any other sounds or 
 noises, more plainly than at other times, the air 
 is inclinable to rain, which commqnly succeeds. 
 
 " If the earth, or any moist or fenny placts, 
 yield any extraordinary scents or smells, it pre- 
 sages rain. 
 
 " If dews lie long in the morning on the grass, 
 &c. it signifies fair weather ; but if they rise or 
 Q 3
 
 176 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 vanish suddenl}', and early in the morning, it 
 presages rain. 
 
 " There is a small bird, of the size and nearly 
 the shape of a marten, that at certain times flies 
 very near the water, which is a most sure prog- 
 nostic of tempestuous weather ; never appearing 
 butagainstsuch weather, as hath been constantly 
 observed by the boatmen on the Severn and the 
 channel, between the Isle of Wight and the 
 main land. 
 
 " Ducks and geese picking their wings, 
 washing themselves much, or cackling much, 
 denotes rain. 
 
 " If after rain comes a cold wind, there will 
 be more rain." 
 
 The nightly virgin, whilst her wheel she plies, 
 Foresees the storm impending in the skies, 
 When sparkling lamps their splutt'ring light advance, 
 And in their sockets oily bubbles dance. 
 
 DRYDEN'S VIRGIL. 
 
 MORE PROGNOSTICS FROM THE WIND. 
 
 14th Rule. When the wind turns to north- 
 east, and it continues there two days without 
 rain, and does not turn south the third day, nor 
 rain the third day, it is likely to continue north- 
 east for eight or nine days all fair, and then to 
 come south again. 
 
 15th Rule. If it turn again out of the south to 
 the north-east with rain, and continues in the 
 north-east two days without rain, and neither 
 turns south, nor rains the third day, it is likely 
 to continue north-east two or three months. 
 
 The wind will finish these turns in three weeks.
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 177 
 
 Ififh Kule. After a northerly wind, for the 
 most part of two months or more, and then 
 coming south, there are usually three or four fair 
 days at first, and then on the fourth or fifth day 
 comes rain, or else the wind turns north again, 
 and continues dry. 
 
 l?th Rule. If it returns to the south within a 
 day or two, without rain, and turns northward 
 with rain, and returns to the south in one or two 
 days, as before, two or three times together after 
 this sort, then it is likely to be in the south or 
 south-west two or three months together, as it 
 was in the north before. 
 
 The winds will finish these turns in a fortnight. 
 
 18th Rule. Fair weather for a week, with a 
 southerly wind, is likely to produce a great 
 drought, if there has been much rain out of the 
 south before. The wind usually turns from the 
 north to south with a quiet wind Without rain, 
 but returns to the north with a strong wind and 
 rain. The strongest winds are when it turns 
 from south to north by west. 
 
 19th Rule. If you see a cloud rise against the 
 wind, or side wind, when that cloud comes up 
 to you, the wind will blow the same way the 
 cloud came. The same rule holds of a clear 
 place, when all the sky is eijually thick, except 
 one clear edge. 
 
 When the north wind first clears the air, which 
 is usually once a week, be sure of a fair day or 
 two. 
 
 The following are the observations of Lord 
 Bacon: 
 
 When the wind changes conformable to the 
 motion of the sun, that is, from east to south, 
 from south to west, &c. it seldom goes back, or
 
 178 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 if it does, it is only for a short time ; but if it 
 moves in a contrary direction, viz. from east to 
 north, from north to west, it generally returns to 
 the former point, at least before it has gone quite 
 through the circle. 
 
 When winds continue to varv for a few hours, 
 as if it were to try in what point they should 
 settle, and afterwards begin to blow constant, 
 they continue for many days. 
 
 If the south wind begins for t\vo or three days, 
 the north wind will blow suddenly after it ; but 
 if the north wind blows for the same number of 
 days, the south will not rise till after the ea^t has 
 blown some time 
 
 Whatever wind begins to blow in the morn- 
 ing, usually continues longer than that which 
 rises in the evening. 
 
 Mr. Worlidge observes, " that if the wind be 
 east, or north-east, in the fore part of the sum- 
 mer, the weather is likely to continue dry : and 
 if westward toward the end of the summer, then 
 will it also continue dry : if in great rains the 
 winds rise or fall, it signifies the rain will forth- 
 with cease. 
 
 "If the colours of the rainbow tend more to 
 red than any other colour, wind follows ; if green 
 or blue are predominant, rain." 
 
 THE SIGNS OF A TEMPEST ARE THESE: 
 
 For ere the rising winds begin to roar, 
 
 The working sea advances to the shorej 
 
 Soft whispers run along the leafy woods, 
 
 And mountains whistle to the murm'rmg floods; 
 
 And chaff with eddying winds is toss'd around, 
 
 And dancing leaves are lifted from the ground, 
 
 And floating leathers on the water play. 
 
 DRVDEN'S VIRGIL.
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 179 
 
 PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 
 
 20th Rule. If the last eighteen days of Fe- 
 bruary, and the first ten days of March*, are for 
 the most part rainy, then the spring and summer 
 quarters will be so too: and I never knew a 
 great drought but it entered in at that season. 
 
 @ 1st .Rule. If the latter end of October and A j^ 
 beginning of November are for the most part 
 warm and rainy, then January and February are 
 likely to be frosty and cold, except after a very 
 dry summer. _ 
 
 22d Rule. If there is frost and snow in Octo- 
 ber and November, then January and February 
 are likely to be open and mild. 
 
 Mr. Clandge gives us the following observa- 
 tions made by our forefathers : 
 
 Janiveer freeze the pot by the fire. 
 
 Ir' the grass grow in Janiveer, 
 
 It grows the worse f'or't all thr year. 
 
 The Welchman had rather see his dam on the bier, 
 
 Than see a fair Februeer. 
 
 March wind and May sun 
 
 Makes clothes white and maids dun. 
 
 When April blows his horn, 
 
 Tis good both for hay and corn. 
 
 An April flood 
 
 Carries away the frog and her brood, 
 
 A cold May and windy 
 
 Makes a full barn and a findy. 
 
 A May flood never did good. 
 
 A swarm of bees in May 
 
 Is worth a load of hay. 
 
 But a swarm in July 
 
 Is not worth a fly. 
 
 * Old Style.
 
 EKST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 THE FOLLOWING RULES ARE LAID DOWN BY LORD BACOF} 
 
 If the wainscot or walls, that used to sweat, be 
 drier than usual in the beginning of winter, or 
 the eves of houses drop more slowly than ordi- 
 nary, it portends a hard and frosty winter ; for 
 it shews an inclination in the air to dry weather, 
 which in winter is always joined with frost. 
 
 Generally a moist and cold summer portends a 
 hard winter. 
 
 A lOiiriddry summer and autumn, especi.illy 
 if the heat and drought extend far into Septem- 
 ber, portend an open, beginning of winter, and 
 cold to succeed towards the latter part, and be- 
 ginning of spring. 
 
 A warm and open winter portends a hot and 
 dry summer, for the vapours disperse into 'the 
 winter showers; whereas 'cold and frost keep 
 them in, and convey them to the late spring and 
 following summer. 
 
 Birds that change countries at certain seasons, 
 if they come early, shew the temper of the wea- 
 ther, according to the country whence they 
 came ; as, in the winter, woodcocks, snipes, 
 fieldfares, &c. if they come early, shew a cold 
 winter; and the cuckoos, if they come early, 
 shew a hot summer to follow. 
 
 A serene autumn denotes a windy winter ; a 
 windy winter, a rainy spring; a rainy spring, a 
 serene summer; a serene summer, a windy au- 
 tumn ; so that the air, on a balance, is seldom 
 debtor to itself; nor do the seasons succeed each 
 other in the. same tenor for two years together. 
 
 Mr. Worlidge remarks, that if at the begin-
 
 PROGNOSTIC* CONTINUED. 181 
 
 mug of the winter the south wind blow, and then 
 the north, it is likely to be a cold winter ; but if 
 the north wind first blpw, am! then the south, it 
 \\ill be a warm and mild winter. 
 
 When there are but few nuts, cold and wet 
 harvest generally follow ; but when there is a 
 great shew of them, hot, heavy, and dry har- 
 vests succeed. 
 
 If the oak bears much mast, it foreshows a long 
 and hard winter. The same has been observed 
 of hips and haws. 
 
 If broom is full of flowers, it usually signifies 
 plenty. 
 
 Mark well the flow'ring almonds in the wood ; 
 If od'rous blooms the bearing branches load^ 
 The glebe will answer to the" Sylvan reign, 
 Great heats will follow, and large crops of grain. 
 But if a wood of leaves o'ershade the tree, 
 Such and so barren will the harvest be. 
 In vain the hind shall vex the threshing floor, 
 For empty chaff and straw will be thy store. 
 
 Having at last once more revised this treatise, 
 which, through the uncertainty of life, I am not 
 likely to do again, I take my leave of the rea- 
 der, wishing him hea ; th, prosperity, and good 
 sport. I shall now (following the example of 
 my pious predecessor WALTON) address THAT 
 POVV ER who penetrates and sustains all nature, 
 who brings round the grateful viciss'tude of the 
 seasons, who has given us the inhabitants of the 
 watery element, not only for our nourishment, 
 but recreation, and Whom we are sure to please, 
 by receiving, his blessings thankfully, and enjoy- 
 ing them with propriety.
 
 182 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 HYMN. 
 
 Father of all ! all good ! all wise ! 
 Who bid'st the tempest rage or cease: 
 
 Whose glory fills earth, seas, and skies, 
 Thou only source of joy and peace; 
 
 Thy wise decrees are right and just. 
 Let no one, impious ! tax thy will, 
 
 But on thy glorious mercies trust, 
 And see a good, through ev'ry ill: 
 
 Arm arm, with fortitude my breast, 
 The various ills of life to bear ; 
 
 And teach thy servant, when at rest, 
 For storms and troubles to prepare : 
 
 But through whate'er distressful scene, 
 Thy righteous hand may lead me still; 
 
 Resign'd to what may evil seem, 
 Content my breast shall calmly fill i 
 
 And as the seasons onward roll, 
 And years revolving quickly fly; 
 
 Sweet gratitude shall warm my soul, 
 For all the blessings I enjoy : 
 
 Still still I'll praise that heav'nly source, 
 For what it pleases to bestow ; 
 
 That petrifies the streamlet's course, 
 Or bids its silver current flow ; 
 
 That regulates creation's laws, 
 
 Bids all in harmony unite; 
 And is, The universal caure 
 
 Of ev'ry thing that's good and right.
 
 ANGLERS' TERMS EXPLAINED. 183 
 
 TERMS USED BY ANGLERS EXPLAINED. 
 
 Hatch, a knot in a hair or link. 
 
 J3fd, hairs bed well when they twist kindly. 
 
 Jledding, the body of an artificial fly. 
 
 Ilreak, a knot in the joint of a rod. 
 
 Chine a salmon, cut him up. 
 
 Cock, a float cocks when it swims perpendicu- 
 lar in the water. 
 
 Drag, an instrument to disentangle the line. 
 
 Fin a chub, cut him up. 
 
 Fntsh a chub, dress him. 
 
 Gi/dard, the link of a line. 
 
 Gobbet a trout, cut him up. 
 
 Grabble, fishing on the grabble is when the 
 line is sunk with a running plummet fast to the 
 bottom, so that the hook-link plays in the water. 
 
 Hang ajish, hook him. 
 
 Kink, a line kinks in trowling, when it is 
 twi-ted between the top of the rod and the ring. 
 
 Leash offish, three. 
 
 Pouch, a pike pouches when he swallows the 
 bait. 
 
 Prime, fish are said to prime when they leap 
 out of the water. 
 
 Shoal, any .great number offish together. 
 
 So/uif a In cam, cut him, up. 
 
 Splnte a pike, cut him up. 
 
 Thrash, any thing which swims down the 
 water. 
 
 Trnnnchcon an eel, cut him up. 
 
 Tusk a barbel, cut him up. 
 
 Veer your line, let it off the real after striking.
 
 18i BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 IVLlNNOW-fishing comes in about the mid- 
 die of March, and continues till the latter end 
 ^ August ; it is a most excellent bait, very de- 
 stl 'uctive, of strqng exercise, being always in 
 Motion, and affords the angler variety of sport. 
 TO he angled with at any time of the dav, from 
 s un-rise to sun-set, and takes the best and 
 largest fish. 
 
 Cod-bait-fishing comes in about a fortnight in 
 May, and continues till about the middle of 
 June : it is a very killing bait, and will take al- 
 most every sort of fish, in deep standing waters 
 as well as in streams, mornings and evenings, 
 till the middle of June. 
 
 Maggot, or Gentle-fishing comes in about the 
 beginning of May, and continues till the latter 
 end of February, in the next year ; it is the best 
 and most killing ground-bait that was ever made 
 use of; it will take every sort of fish that swims 
 in fresh water, except salmon or pike. 
 
 Grass-hopper-fishing comes in about the, latter 
 end of June, and continues till the latter end of 
 -August. It is a curious fine bait, very natural 
 to fish, but very tender ; to be drawn upon a 
 leaded hook, No. 2^ after the same manner as 
 the cod-bait, and will take almost all sorts of 
 fish as pike, trout, greyliug, perch, chub, roach, 
 dace, &c. c,
 
 SEASONS FOR FISHING. 185 
 
 comes in about the 
 middle of June, and continues in their succes- 
 sive flights til! the latter end of October. There 
 are three sorts which the fish aie remarkably 
 fond of, and are equal in goodness to the cod- 
 bait and "grass-hopper, and will take the same 
 sorts of fish. 
 
 Worm, or Bottom-fishing, comes in about the 
 middle of Febrxary, if the weather is mild, and 
 continues good all the year ; you may fish with 
 a worm, all or any time of the day, if the water 
 is discoloured by vain ; but if low, clear, and 
 fine, only mornings and evenings : it is the most 
 general bait we have, and will take every kind 
 of fish ; the proper worms for angling are fully 
 described in this treatise.
 
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