,*_^ m r --^j '7> f - f- * THE BOY'S OWN HANDBOOK. Author of " Parlour Amusements for "Winter Evenings," " British Sports and Pastimes," etc., etc. LONDON: HENRY LEA, 147, FLEET STEEET. AND ALL BOOKSELLEB3. [Entered at Stationers' Hall.] Stack Annex ofef AUSTGKLIIlsrGK INTRODUCTION. TACKLE. FLY-MAKING. FISH OF VARIOUS KINDS. LAWS OF FISHING; ANGLEKS' MONTHLY GUIDE. Introduction. Now, my lads, for a day's fishing ; but first I must tell you a little about angling, and the requisites necessary for the sport. In a rude state of society, angling was resorted to from necessity. This occupation soon became an amusement for those who had leisure enough to spend time in it, as it affords to most people much pleasure. We find occasional allusions to this pursuit among the Greek writers, and throughout the most ancient books of the Bible. It is said that angling came into repute in England about the period of the reformation, jwhen both the secular and regular clergy, being prohibited by the common law from the amusements of hunting, hawking, and fowling, directed their atten- tion to this recreation. The invention jof printing aided in drawing attentionto this subject, and made knownits importance " to cause the helthe of your body, and specyally of your soul," as the first treatise concludes. Wynkin de Worde gave the world, in 1496, a small folio republication of the 'celebrated Book of St. Albans. It con- tained, for the first time, a curious tract, entitled the Treaty se of FysTiingc wytli an Angle, embellished with a wood-cut of the angler. This treatise is ascribed to dame Juliana Berners or Barnes, prioress of a nunnery near St. Albans. "The Angler," she observes, " atte the leest, hath his holsom walke and mery at his 2067035 164 THE BOY'S owx HANDBOOK. ease, a swete ayre of the swete sauoure of the meede floures that makyth him hungry ; he hereth the melodyous armony of the fowlls, he seeth the yonge swannes, heerons, duckes, cotes and many other fowles, with their brodes, whych me seemyth better than alle the noyse of houndys, the Wastes of hornys, and the scrye of fowles, that hunters, fawkeners and foulers can make. And if angler take fysshe, surely thenne is there noo man merier than he is in his spyryte." Walton's inimitable discourse on angling was first printed in 1653, in an elegant duodecimo, with plates of the most considerable fish cut in steel. This edition and three subse- quent ones consisted wholly of what is now called part the first of the Complete Angler, being Walton's individual portion of the work. For the benefit of my young friends I will now give a short general description of the tackle they will require ; and a detailed list or account of the fish usually taken by anglers in Great Britain. Tackle for Angling. THE EOD. In the choice of Ms rod the angler will generally be directed by local circumstances. The cane rods are lightest; and where fishing-tackle is sold, they most commonly have the pre- ference ; but in retired country places, the rod is often of the angler's own manufacture, and he should, at any rate, be capable of supplying himself with one upon an emergency. No wood, as a whole, is better adapted for this purpose than the common hazel > and if to this he can add a sound ash stock, or butt-end, and a whalebone top, he is as well furnished with materials as he need desire to be. Salmon rods are sometimes wholly made of ash, with a whalebone top. Other rods may be formed thus : a yellow deal joint of seven feet ; a straight hazel joint of six feet; a piece of fine grained yew, tapered to a whalebone top, and measuring, together about two feet. Always carry a jointed rod, when not in. use, tightly looped up. THE LINE Like the rod, the line should gradually diminish toward the further extremity; and no materials exceed strong clear AKGLINO. 165 PAHXIER, FLOATS, KOD, TACKLE CASE, PLUMMETS, WINCH, TUB OOROK-HOOK, AND HOW TO BAIT IT WITH A MINNOW. 1GG THE BOY'S OTTK HANDBOOK. horse hair. If you make it" yourself, the hairs from the middle of the tail are best, and those of a young, and healthy, grey or white stallion ; sort them well, that the hair at every link may be of equal size with each other ; and if you wash them, do not dry them too rapidly. For ground fishing, brown or dark hairs are best, as resembling the colour of the bottom. Silk lines are more showy than useful. They soon rot and catch weeds. THE HOOK. Your hook should readily bend without breaking, and yet retain a sharp point, which may be occasionally renewed by a whetstone. It should be long in the shank and deep in the bed ; the point straight, and true to the level of the shank ; and the barb long. From the difficulty of tempering and making them, few anglers ever undertake the task. Be careful to provide your- self with a variety accordingly. Their sizes and sorts must, of course, entirely depend on the kind of fish for which you mean to angle. FLOATS. These are formed of cork, porcupine quills, goose and swan quills, &c. For heavy fish, or strong streams, use a cork float ; in slow water, and for lighter fish, quill floats. To make the former, take a sound common cork, and bore it with a small red-hot iron through the centre, lengthways ; then taper it down across the grain, about two-thirds of the length, and round the top, forming it, as a whole, into the shape of a pear. Load your floats so as just to sink them short of the top. Th3 T^ibe of Artificial Flies. These are so numerous, and their importance so great, that much of the angler's time is generally occupied in mastering a knowledge of their various forms, and the mode of tying them. All of them are composed of three essential parts ; first, the hook ; second, the gut or loop to attach the hook to the line ; and third, the various articles tied on the hook for the purpose of imitating the natural % The materials are first to be collected, and if they are not at once bought in the mass from the fishing-tackle maker, they require some ANGLING. 1G7 little time to get them together. They consist of hooka of all sizes ; gut, plain and dyed, fine and stout ; fine, curved, and common scissors ; nippers and pliers ; silks of all kinds and colours ; wax, spirit-varnish and brush ; wing-picker or pointer ; pair of fine spring forceps ; dubbings, viz : pig's wool, mohair, coloured wools, hare's ear fur, white seal's or white rabbit's fur, water-rat's fur, cowhair, squirrel's fur, mole's fur, black spaniel's ear fur, black bear's hair, &c. Tinsels, viz : gold and silver, flat wire, twisted and fretted cords, &c. Feathers for trout flies, viz. : wing-feathers of snipe, woodcock, partridge, landrail, thrush, lark, starling, blackbird, wren, waterhen, coot and redwing. Body feathers of grouse, pheasant, mallard, teal and golden plover. Hackles of barn-door fowl in all colours. ]^eck-feathers of partridge, starling, lapwing, wren, to be used as hackles. Peacock herls and ostrich herls of all colours, dyed. Feathers for salmon flies ; including those of the turkey in all shades, golden pheasant neck and body- feathers, silver pheasant, common pheasant, and argus pheasant, peacock, jungle-cock. Blue feathers of the lowrie and mackaw, and of the jay's wing. Green feathers of the mackaw. Besides the natural colours, there should be dyed cock's hackles of larger size than for trout, of the following shades, viz. : purple, blue, crimson, scarlet, orange, yellow, green and brown. Feathers of the king- fisher, swan's feathers for dyeing. Guinea-fowl, bittern, heron (pendant and breast feathers), ostrich and raven. Few collections comprehend the whole of the above, but the angler may endeavour to obtain as many of them as possible ; still he may rest satisfied even if he is not able to fill up every link in so extensive an assort- ment. Dyeing is required when the natural feathers, &c., are not suffi- ciently varied. It is an art exceedingly simple in principle, though not always so easy in practice, if the colours are required to be very delicate or brilliant. GENERAL PEINCIPLES OF FLY MAKING.- In all cases the gut and hook should first be selected of such size and strength as will serve to hold the fish which they are intended to capture ; then 168 THE BOY'S OWN HANDBOOK. whip the hook on one end of this piece of gut, after flattening it with the teeth, using for the whipping a piece of strong silk well waxed with cobbler's-wax. Sometimes the continuation of this same silk is used for the purpose of tying on the feathers, wool, &c., but usually a finer kind is employed, and especially where great neatness is required, as in the smaller sized flies. The most simple fly is made up of a head, body and legs ; the next stage of complica- tion gives a pair of simple wings, then a tail, and finally are super- added, in the salmon-fly, the compound bodies which separate joints and legs, and the wings and tails, composed of various coloured feathers. The body is made of one or other of the following materials : first, coloured floss-silk wound round the shank regularly, and giving a uniform smooth, and shining surface ; secondly, of wool, fur, or mohair, called dubbings, attached to the tying-silk by the adhesive power of the wax with which it is covered, and forming with it a rough hairy line, which is then wound round the shank from the end to the bend, or vice versa this forms a rough hairy-looking body, as in the hare lug and numerous other flies ; thirdly, of peacock or ostrich herl, either of which is wound singly or in double layers round the shank, and forms the body of several of the most killing flies as, for instance, the black-gnat and peacock-hackle ; fourthly, of a foundation composed of either of the above materials ribbed with silk, or gold, or silver-twist wound spirally round, or sometimes in a circular manner at intervals in the body, or as a terminal joint at the lowest part. The legs or feelers are generally made of feathers wound spirally round the shank of the hook, but sometimes dependance is placed on the dubbing, which, after it is wound round, is pulled out by means of the picker, and made to take the form of the legs, as in the hare-lug and brown-rail. This, however, answers badly, except in very small flies, as all the dubbings lie close in the water, and do not serve to conceal the bend and barb of the hook like the hackles or any other kind of feather. Generally speaking the legs are imitated by some of the many coloured cock's hackles, which ANGLING. 169 the fly-fisher ought to possess, either of the natural colours of the cock, or dyed by one of the receipts given above. These are first tied at the point to the shank, beginning always from the side next the bend and ending at the shoulder, and thus keeping the longest fibres of the hackle outwards. Sometimes the whole body is in- vested with two or more hackles, after first making it up full with dubbing of some kind. This is seen in the single and double palmers. The head is generally made by a few turns of silk, or by the black herl of the ostrich, or that of the peacock's feather. The tail, when used, is composed in the trout-fly of two or three fibres of some feather, as in the grey-drake ; or of two fine hairs, as in the stone-fly. In the salmon-fly it is often much more com- plicated, and is then generally composed of a part of the crest- feather of the golden pheasant, with or without the addition of a tag of coloured silk or other gaudy material. The wings in the trout fly are generally composed of two pieces of the web of some of the feathers enumerated in the list already given. They are sometimes tied on at the shoulder, in tlie direc- tion which they finally assume, but the best plan, and that which gives the best appearance in the water, is to tie them on first the reverse way to that which they must take when finished, and then turn them back again, and retain them in that position with a couple of turns of the silk. In the salmon-fly the wings are often made up of six different feathers, each called a topping. A little varnish, added with a fine brush to the head, and also at the lower end next the tail, but with great care, prevents those parts from coming to pieces, and greatly adds to the lasting pro- perties of the fly. The following are the names of the flies shown in our illustra- tions : 1, the peacock-hackle, which, is one of the simplest of all flies ; 2, 3, 4, palmers and hackles ; 5, the black gnat ; 6, the hare- lug ; 7, the yellow sally ; 8, the oak-fly ; 9, the caperer ; 10, the winged-palmer ; 11, the green drake, or May fly ; 12, the grey drake; 13, the stone-fly; 14, the March-brown; 15, the red spinner ; 16, the winged larva. (See the annexed pages.) 170 THE BOY S OWN HAITDBOOK. <S TBOUT FLIES ANGLING. 171 SALMON FLIES. 1/Z THE BOY S OWy HANDBOOK. SALMON-FLIES are made on the same principle as the trout-flies, but as they are larger, so they are capable of being tied with greater exactness and finish. They are generally of much more gaudy materials than the trout-flies ; and in this respect they have latterly been used still more richly coloured than was formerly the case. In nearly all cases this fly consists of a body, a head, legs, and tail, and wings of a very compound nature ; but the mode of tying is very similar to that adopted in trout fly-making. Most salmon-flies are tied with a small loop of gut attached to the shank, instead of, as in the trout- fly, a full length of that material; some- times a bristle or a piece of wire is bent for the purpose, and again in some cases the gut, either plain or twisted, is tied on as in the trout-fly. Whichever mode is adopted, the end or ends of the gut or bristle must be shaved off, and moulded with the teeth into slight ridges, so as neither to present an abrupt and unsightly edge where they leave off nor to be so smooth as to be liable to slip from the hook. This eye or length of gut is to be first whipped on to the hook in the usual way with strong waxed-silk, which is then to be fastened off and removed ; and for the subse- quent tying, a finer and generally a bright-coloured silk adapted to the particular fly is to be employed. The salmon-flies shown in our illustration are named as follows : 1. The salmon-fly ; 2. Small salmon or Grilse-fly ; 3. and 4. Gaudy - salmon ; 5. Medium Salmon-fly ; 6. Extra Gaudy Salmon-fly. SEA-TBOUT FLIES may be made of sizes and colours intermediate between the trout and salmon flies. They are tied of all colours, and with or without the addition of a gaudy tail of golden phea- sant fibres, and tinsel wound round the body. Fish usually taken by Anglers in Great Britain. THE BARBEL, so called from its four barbs, two of which are at the corners of its mouth, and the others at the end of its snout, is heavy, dull fish, and gives very inferior sport to the angler, in proportion to his size and strength. They begin to shed their spawn about the middle of April, and come in season about a AKGLLNG. 173 month or six weeks after. In tlieir usual haunts, among weeds, &c. they are fond of rooting with their nose, like a pig. In summer, they frequent the most powerful and rapid currents, and settle among logs of wood, piles, and weeds, where they remain for a long time apparently immovable ; during the winter time, they return to deep bottoms. The most killing baits for the barbel are the spawn of trout, salmon, or indeed of any other fish, especially if it be fresh, respecting which the barbel is very cunning ; the pastes that imitate it must, therefore, be well made, and of fresh flavour It is also an advisable plan to bait the water overnight, by spawn or a quantity of cut worms. The barbel will also bite well at the obworm, gentles, and cheese, soaked in honey. The rod and line with which you fish for barbel must both be extremely long, with a running plummet attached to the latter, as they swim very close to the bottom. By a gentle inclination of the rod, you may easily ascertain when there is a bite ; immediately upon which the fish should be struck and seldom escapes unless he break the line. THE BLEAK, or BLAY, is a common river fish, so called from i<& 174t THE BOY'S o\v:sr HANDBOOK:. bleak or white appearance, that spawns in March, and is fond of many of the baits for trout. It is usually caught with a small artificial fly of a brown colour, and the hook should be suited in size to the fly. The bleak seldom exceeds six inches in length ; its flesh is highly valued by epicures, and beads are made of its scales. BBEAM shed their spawn about midsummer, and although they are occasionally met with in slow-running rivers, are reckoned a pond fish, where they will thrive in the greatest perfection, and havo been known to weigh from eight to ten pounds. In fishing for them, the angler should be very silent, and take all possible care to keep concealed from the fish, which are angled for near the bottom. His tackle, also, must be strong. This fish, according to Dr. Shaw, is a native of many parts of Europe, inhabiting the still hikes and rivers, and sometimes found even in the Caspian Sea. BULLHEAD, or MILLER'S THUMB, is a small ugly fish, which hides itself in brooks and rivers under a gravelly bottom. They spawn in April, and their average length is from four to five inches. When their gill fins are cut off they serve as good baits for pike and trout, and, like the cray fish, when boiled, their flesh turns red. CARP is a fish, that by its frequency of spawning, and quickness of growth, is greatly used to stock ponds, where it thrives better and lives longer than in rivers. Gesner speaks of one who lived to 100 years old ; there is much doubt about its general age, but it is 175 supposed to be a very long-lived fish. They spawn three or four times a year, but the earliest time is about the commencement of May. They are observed to live uncommonly long out of water, and in Holland are frequently kept alive for three weeks or a month, in a cool place, by being hung with wet moss in a net, and fed with bread, steeped in milk. In angling for carp, it is neces- sary to make use of strong tackle, with a fine gut next the hook, and a float formed of the quill of a goose. They bite almost close to the bottom, and are rarely caught if angled for in a boat. From its subtlety it has been sometimes called the water fox. The river carp is accustomed to haunt in the winter the most quiet and broad parts of the stream. In summer they live in deep holes, reaches, and nooks, under the roots of trees, and among great banks of weeds, until they are in a rotten condition. The pond carp loves a rich and fat soil, and will seldom or never thrive in cold, hungry waters. The carp ponds of Germany yield a con- siderable income to the gentry. THE CHUB, or CHEVIN, is, like the perch, a very bold biter, and will rise eagerly at a natural or artificial fly. They spawn in June, or at the latter end of May, at which time they are easily caught by a fly, a beetle with his legs and wings cut off, or still more successfully by a large snail. When they are fished for at mid- water, or at bottom, a float should be made use of ; when at top, it is customary to dip for them, or to use a fly, as if a trout were the angler's object. Strong tackle is also requisite, as they .are a 176 THE BOY S OWN HANDBOOK. heavy fish, and usually require a landing-r.et to pull them , Their average length is from ten to fourteen inches. DACE, DART, or DAEE, are a very active and cautious fish and rise to a fly either real or artificial. It is necessary, in angling for them, to remain in concealment as much as possible. They spawn in February and March, and their flesh is but inferior in point of flavour. They frequent gravelly, clayey, and sandy bottoms, leaves of the water-lily, and deep holes, if well shaded. In sultry weather, they are frequently caught in the shallows, and during that period are best taken with grasshoppers or gentles. In fishing at bottom for roach and dace, who are similar in their haunts and disposition, bread soaked in water and kneaded to a good consistency, and then made up together with bran into round balls, and thrown into the place where it is proposed to angle, will be found very serviceable, but must always be thrown up the ANGLING. 177 stream. There is a mode of intoxicating dace, and by this means rendering them an easy prey ; but this is no part of the real angler's sport. The Thames is well known to abound in dace, and the graining of the Mersey is thought to be a variety of the same species. THE EEL is rarely angled for, but it is usually caught by the process of sniggling or bobbing with night lines, &c. Being fond of quiet in the daytime, all who expect much sport in eel fishing must devote their evenings and even whole nights to the pursuit. The method of sniggling for eels is as follows : Take a common L "' 1 e, attach in the middle by fine waxed twine a pack- thi\ j. line, or a strong small hook fixed to this kind of line ; place a large lobworm, by the head end, on your needle or hook, and draw him on to his middle ; affix another needle to the end of a long stick, and guide your bait with it into any of the known haunts of the fish, between mill boards, or into clefts of banks or holes, holding the line in your hand; now give the eel time to gorge the bait, and then by a sharp twitch fix the needle across his throat, or the hook into his body ; tire him well, and your triumph is certain. Although this is not strictly a method of angling, the lovers of that sport will find it so successful a mode of diversifying their pursuits, where eels are common, that the present appeared the most convenient place to insert it. Bob- bing is a rough species of angling. The best method is to provide yourself with a considerable number of good-sized worms, and 178 THE BOY'S ovry HANDBOOK. string them from head to tail, by a needle, on fine strong twine, viz. to the amount of a pound, or a pound and a half in weight. "Wind them round a card into a dozen or fifteen links, and secure the two ends of each link by threads. Row tie a strong cord to the bundle of strung worms, about a foot from which put on a bored plummet, and angle with a line from two to three feet long, attached to a stout tapering pole. Eels, and perhaps pike, are found in no part of Great Britain in such numbers or variety as in the marshy parts of the counties of Cambridge and Lincoln. The silver eel is the finest, and is very common in Scotland. The manner in which this fish is propagated has long been a matter of dispute. They have neither spawn nor melt, as known organs of generation. Walton gravely argues for their being bred of corruption, " as some kind of bees and wasps are ; " others strongly contend for their being viviparous. It is a subject, indeed, upon which naturalists have no certain information. The lamprey, " a lambendo petras, from licking the rocks," says the quaint author of the "Worthies of England, is a species of eel variously esteemed. In "Worcester- shire and Gloucestershire, the Severn lamprey is regarded as a luxury ; and, by the city of Gloucester, a pie made of this fish is annually presented to the king. In the north of Great Britain it is much disliked. Eels bite in a shower, and in windy, gloomy weather, at the lob and garden worm, designed for other fish, par- ticularly trout. Unlike other fish, they are never out of season. They are a very greedy fish, and if you wish to angle for them in the ordinary way, they will take a lamprey, wasp grubs, minnows, &c., but particularly the first. THE PINXOCK, OR HIBLIXG, is a species of sea trout which usually attains the length of from 9 to 14 inches, and is principally known in Scotland ; the whitling, another species, is from 16 to 24 inches long. They will both rise equally at an artificial fly, but require generally a more showy one than the common trout. The GBAYLIXG, or UMBEE, spawns in May, and is in the best condition in November. They will greedily take all the baits that a trout does, and frequent the same streams. They are said to have ANGLING. 179 the flagrant smell of the plant Thymallus. Their average length is from 16 to 18 inches ; and they must be angled for with very fine tackle, as they are a remarkably timid fish. When hooked, they must also be cautiously worked, as the hold in their mouth easily gives way; but they will speedily return to the bait. It is fine eating, unknown to Scotland or Ireland. The GUDGEON is a fish in some request, both for its flavour and fhe sport it affords to the inexperienced angler. It is very simple, and is allured with almost any kind of bait. It spawns two or three times during the year; is generally from 5 to 6 inches long, and fond of gentle streams with a gravelly bottom. In angling for gudgeon the bottom should be previously stirred up, as this rouses them from a state of ^inactivity, and collects them in shoals together. Some anglers use two or three hooks in gudgeon fishing. A float is always used, but the fish should not be struck on the first motion 180 TUB DOT'S OWN HANDBOOK. of it ; as they are accustomed to nibble the bait before they swallow- it. It frequently happens, that in angling for gudgeons, perch are caught. The LOACH, or GEOUNDLING, sheds its spawn in April, and remains in the gravel ; where they are usually caught with a small red worm. They are principally found in the north of Great Britain, and in the streams of the mountainous parts. They are about three inches in length ; and their flesh is pleasant and whole- some. The MINNOW, or MINIM, one of the smallest river fish, seldom exceeds two inches in length. They spawn generally about once in two or three years, and swim together in shoals, in shallow waters, where they are very free, and bold in biting. They serve also as excellent baits for pike, trout, chub, perch, and many other fish which prey upon and devour them greedily. MULLET take almost the same baits as the trout, and will very eagerly rise <o an artificial fly ; they are considered free biters, and come and go with the tide. If artificial flies are made use of, their size should be larger than those generally used to insnare the trout. They are found in their greatest perfection in the river Arun, Sussex; but are seldom or never seen in Scotland. The PAE, or SAMLET, is a fish that is known by different names in different parts of Great Britain. On the river Wye it is usually called a skirling, in Yorkshire, a brandling, in Northumberland, a rack-rider ; and in some parts of England a fingering, from ANGLING. 181 the resemblance of its spotted streaks to the human fingers. Par, or Samlet, is its Scottish name, and in that part of Britain it is best known. Some have affirmed, that it is the blended spawn of the trout and salmon. This opinion is strengthened by the circum- stance of their usually frequenting the same haunts with the salmon and sea trout, and their being forked in the tail like the former. The PERCH is a very bold biting fish, and affords excellent amusement to the angler. He is distinguished by the beauty of his colours, and by a large erection on its back, strongly armed with stiff and sharp bristles, which he can raise or depress at pleasure. Defended by this natural excrescence, he bids defiance to the attacks of the ravenous and enormous pike, and will even dare to attack one of his own species. Perch spawn, about the beginning of March, and measure from eight to fourteen inches. In fishing for perch with a minnow, or brandling, the hook shouW. be run through the back fins of the bait, which must hang about six inches from the ground. A large cork float should be attached to the line, which should be leaded about nine inches from the hook. It must be observed, that they invariably refuse a fly. The PIKE, LUCE, or JACK, is a fish of enormous size, and the greatest voracity; indeed, so notorious is he for the latter quality, as to have gained the appellation of the fresh water shark. They are also great breeders. Their usual time of shedding their spawn is about March, in extremely shallow waters. The finest pike are those 182 THE BOY S OW:tf HANDBOOK. which feed in clear rivers ; those of fens or meres being of very inferior quality. They grow to a vast size in these last mentioned places, where they feed principally on frogs, and such like nutri- ment. They are reckoned to be the most remarkable for longevity of all fresh water fish ; are solitary and melancholy in their habits, generally swimming by themselves, and remaining alone in their haunts, until compelled by hunger to roam in quest of food. There are three modes of catching pike : by the ledger, the trolling, or walking bait, and the trimmer. THE POPE, OK HUFF, is a fish very similar in its nature and appearance to the perch, and is frequently caught when fishing for the latter. They spawn in March and April, and are taken with a brandling, gentles, or caddis. They are extremely voracious in their disposition, and will devour a minnow .which is almost as big as themselves. In their favourite haunts of gentle deep streams ANGLING. 183 overhung by trees, they swim in shoals together; and you may fish for them either at the top or the bottom of the water, as they are known to bite in almost any weather, and in any situation. Their average length is from six to seven inches. ROACH are frequently taken with flies under water. They will Lite at all the baits which are prepared for chub or dace, and are con- sidered a simple and foolish fish. They spawn in May, and turn red when boiled. The compactness of their flesh gave ri.se to the proverb, " Sound as a roach." The roach haunts shallow and gentle streams, and the mouths of small streams which run into larger ones. In angling for roach, the tackle must be strong, and the float large and well leaded. The BTTD, or FINSCALE, is a very scarce fish, found only in the river Charwell, in Oxfordshire, and a few of the lakes of Lincoln- shire and Yorkshire. It sheds its spawn in April, will take all kinds of worms, and will rise at an artificial fly. Its colour is a kind of yellowish brown, and its average length from nine to fifteen inches. SALMON are accustomed to quit the fresh waters, and retire into the sea at the approach of winter, which, at the commencement of April, they usually leave for rivers ; but the Wye and TJsk in Monmouthshire, and the Exe in Devonshira, have them in season during the six wintry months. The finest species are caught in the Exe, Thames, and Tamar, but not so abundantly as in many 184 THE BOY'S OWN HANDBOOK. other places. Salmon prefer more chilly streams, and are conse- quently found in greater numbers northward, in the rivers of Scotland, particularly in the Tweed, the Tyne, the Clyde, and the Tay. In the latter, they occasionally occur at the immense weight of seventy pounds ; and in the Tweed, and Clyde, at about fifty or sixty pounds weight. They are also found in all the great streams of Europe N. of 51, and in the United States of America N. of 41. Some accounts of the JS". "W. coast of America describe them also as abounding there. They have also been acclimatised in Australia with success. In the American rivers, they seldom exceed from fifteen to twenty pounds weight. They appear some time in the rivers before they are in a healthy state ; and the best season for the angler to commence his operations is in the close of the month of May, or the early part of June. The usual time for the salmon to deposit their spawn is from the first of September to the latter end of October, when they grow very sickly both in appearance and flavour. Previous to this, they generally retire to brooks which branch out irregularly from the main river, or remain in shallows, where they sometimes are scarcely covered with water. During their residence in fresh water, it is a well authenticated circumstance, that they always lie with their heads pointing up the river ; and never swim down the stream, unless during the period of their emigration to the sea, or when their position is molested. The length of the rod for catching salmon should be from about seventeen to twenty feet, which, however, can be regulated accord- ANGLING. 185 ing to the breadth and general size of the river in which the angler pursues his operations. The reel, which on these occasions forms the most material appendage to the rod, is made of brass ; it should be constructed with the utmost nicety, and capable of the swiftest circumvolutions. The line, which is fastened to the reel, may be composed either of strong silk or twisted horse hair, gradually diminishing at the top, and having a loop at the end of the wheel, and another at the cast lines, to fasten them to each other. Let this last line be very carefully twisted with the fingers, and shorter than the rod, so that none of the knots may come within the top ring ; sixteen to twenty horse hairs may be used in the upper links, but they must be diminished toward the hook, where they are best made of three small round twisted silk worm guts, or a few strong horse hairs. Of flies, the natural ones recommended in the tables have been used with great success. The artificial ones should be generally of large dimensions, and of a gaudy and glittering colour. The materials that compose them are hairs, furs, and wools, of every variety that can be collected, mingled with the tail-feathers of cocks and game, and secured together by plated wire, or gold and silver thread, marking silk, shoemakers' wax, bees' wax, &c. Their wings may be made of the feathers of domestic fowls, or any others of a showy colour. Imitate principally the natural flies recommended ; but you may safely indulge your fancy, rather than depart without a bite ; for many anglers succeed with the most monstrous and capricious baits of this kind. A raw cockle, or mussel, taken out of the shell, prawns, and minnows, have also been recommended as salmon baits. The mode of angling with these is to drop the line, which must be totally unincumbered with shot, into some shallow which approximates to the edge of a hole of considerable depth, and in this situation to suffer it to be carried in by the current. The noviciate in angling will, at first, experience considerable difficulty in throwing his line to any great extent. For this we can give no receipt, but a most inflexible determination to proceed, and the most consummate patience in disappointment. It should always be thrown across the river, and on the off side from 186 THE BOY'S OVTN HA2ODBOOK:. the spot where you expect the fish to rise- "When you imagine that the salmon has been struck, be cautious in giving him time sufficient to enable him to poach his bait, that is, to swallow it fairly and securely. After this, fix the hook firmly in him, by a gentle twitch. On the first sensation of this pain, the salmon will plunge and spring with great violence, and use every endeavour of strength and cunning to effect his escape. He will then, per- haps, run away with a considerable length of line, which is to be kept in a gently relaxed situation so that it may always yield with facility to his obstinate resistance : nor can you give him too much line, if you do but clear it of weeds and encumbrances. If he now become sullen and quiet in the water, rouse him gently, by flinging in a few stones ; and when he once more commences resistance, do not be too eager in checking his career, but let him gradually ex- haust himself of his strength ; follow him down the stream, or allow him to cross it ; while, at every opportunity, you keep winding up your line until you approach him in this wearied state, and take him softly by the gills out of the water. The salmon peal may be caught in the same manner ; he is smaller than the salmon, and seldom exceeds fourteen or fifteen inches in length. TENCH, like the carp, are generally considered pond fish, although they have been frequently caught in the river Stour. They shed their spawn about the commencement of July, and are ;n season from September to the latter end of May. They will ANGLING. 187 bite very freely during the sultry months. Their haunts are similar to those of the carp ; except that they frequent the foulest and muddiest bottoms, where they may shelter themselves among an infinite quantity of reeds ; hence you must angle for them very near the bottom, and allow them sufficient time to gorge the bait. TBOUT are considered as one of the finest river fish that this country can produce. Its colours are beautifully varied at different seasons of the year, and according to the rivers it frequents. They abound in the generality of our streams, rivers, and lakes, and are usually angled for with an artificial fly. Their weight also differs from half a pound to three ; some few have been caught which weighed upwards of four pounds. Trout are extremely voracious ; and, by their activity and eagerness, afford famous diversion to the angler. Previous to their spawning, they are observed to force a passage through weirs and flood-gates against the stream ; and how they are enabled to overcome some of these impediments is a sub- ject of much conjecture. Their general time of shedding their spawn is about October or November ; in some rivers, however, it is much sooner, in others later. They are also met with in eddies, where they remain concealed from observation behind a stone, or log, or a bank that projects into the stream ; during the hitter part of the summer, they are frequently caught in a mill-tail, and sometimes under the hollow of a bank, or the roots of a tree. In angling for trout, there are many things worthy of particular obser- 188 THE BOY'S OWN HANDBOOK. vation : 1st. That the day on which the sport is undertaken be a little windy, or partially overcast, and the south wind is superior to all others, if it do not too much disturb your tackle. 2d. The sportsman should remain as far as possible from the stream, fish it downwards, the line never touching the water, as the agitation pro- ceeding from the fall might disturb the fish, and preclude all possibility of capturing them. 3d. Clear streams are famous for sport, and in fishing in them, a small fly with slender wings must be attached to the hook. When the water is thick, and the sight more imperfect from this advantage, a larger species of bait must of necessity be used. 4th. The line should, on an average, be about twice as long as the rod, unless in casfes of emergency, when the number and variety of trees exclude the probability of a successful throw, if at any distance, oth. Let the fly be made to suit the season. After a shower, when the water becomes of a brown appearance, the mo.st killing bait is the orange fly ; in a clear day, the light coloured fly ; and on a gloomy day, in overshadowed streams, a dark fly. Very large trout have been killed in Ullswater, in Cumberland, and still larger in Loch Awe, in Argyleshire. It is said to be by far the most powerful of our fresh- water fishes, exceeding the salmon in actual strength, though not in activity, The most general size caught by trolling ranges from three to fifteen pounds ; beyond that weight they are of uncommon oqpur- rence. If hooked upon tackle of moderate strength, they afford excellent sport ; but the general method of fishing for them is almost as well adapted for catching sharks as trout ; the angler being apparently more anxious to have it in his power to state that he had caught a fish of such a size, than to enjoy the pleasure of the sport itself. However, to the credit of both parties, it may be stated, that the very strongest tackle is sometimes snapped in two by its first tremendous springs. The ordinary method of fishing for this king of trouts is with a powerful rod, from a boat rowing at the rate of from three to four miles an hour ; the lure, a commooi trout, from three to ten inches in length, baited upon six or eight salmon hooks, tied back to back upon strong gimp, assisted by two ANGLING. 189 swivels, and tlie wheel-line strong whip cord. Yet all this, in the first impetuous efforts of the fish to regain its liberty, is frequently carried away ! Expenses of Pishing, and Laws relating to Inland Fisheries. SECT. 1. EXPENSES OF FISHING. The chief expense of fishing is the tackle, which may be made to cost any sum from three pounds to almost any amount. The average cost, however, of a complete outfit will not be more than twenty pounds, if due economy is used in procuring fly-making materials. If, however, the angler is extravagant, he may easily spend from 50 to 100 in rods and tackle. Beyond this the ex- pense is only in procuring tickets for fishing, and travelling expenses. The tickets vary from two pounds to ten shillings per month, according to the nature of the sport and the locality. LAWS EELATING TO INLAND FISHERIES. FOE DESTROYING or killing fish in enclosed ground, being private property, a pejialty of five pounds, or imprisonment in the House of Correction for a time not exceeding six months. FOE BBEAKING INTO an enclosed or private ground, and stealing or destroying the fish, transportation for seven years, and receivers the like punishment. No PEESONS MAY HAVE IN POSSESSION, or keep, any net, angle piche, or other engine for taking fish, but the makers and sellers thereof, and the owner or renter of a river fishery, except fisher- men and their apprentices, legally authorised in navigable rivers ; and the owner or occupier of the said river may seize, and keep and convert to his own use, every net, &c., which he shall dis- 190 THE BOY'S ovra HANDBOOK. cover laid or used, or in the possession of any person thus fishing without his consent. ANY PEBSON DAMAGING or intruding, by using nettrices, fish- hooks, or other engines to catch fish, without consent of the owner or occupier, must pay any amount the magistrate or justice orders, provided it exceeds not treble the damages, and be fined, not exceeding ten shillings, for the use of the poor of the parish, or imprisonment in the House of Correction, not exceeding one calen- dar month, unless he enters into a bond, with one surety, in a sum not exceeding ten pounds not to offend again, and the justice may cut or destroy the nets, &c. IF ANY PEESON UNLAWFULLY OB MALICIOUSLY CUT, break down, or destroy any head or dam of a fish-pond, or unlawfully fish therein, he shall, at the prosecution of the Queen, or the owner, be imprisoned three months, or pay treble damages, and after such imprisonment, shall find sureties for seven years for his good behaviour, or remain in prison till he doth. LIMITS OF SIZE OF MESH. To prevent the fish in the Thames from being improperly destroyed, the 30th of George the Second enacts, that no person shall fish, or endeavour to take fish, in the said river, between London-bridge and Richmond-bridge, with other than lawful nets. For salmon, not less than six inches in the mesh. For pike, jack, perch, roach, chub, and barbel, with a flew or stream net, of not less than three inches in the mesh throughout, with a facing of seven inches, and not more than six- teen fathom long. For shads, not less than two inches and a half in the mesh. For flounders, not less than two inches and a half in the mesh, and not more than sixteen fathom long. For dace, with a single blay-net, of not less than two inches in the mesh, and not more than thirteen fathom long, to be worked by floating only, with a boat and a buoy. For smelts, with a net of not less than one inch and a quarter in the mesh, and not of greater length than sixteen fathom, to be worked by floating only, with a boat and a buoy. Under the penalty of paying and forfeiting the sum of five pounds for every such ofFence. ANGLING. 191 LIMITS OF SIZE OF FISH No fish of any of the sort hereinafter mentioned may be caught in the Thames or Medway, or sold, or exposed to or for sale, if caught in the Thames or Medway : No salmon of less weight than sis pounds. No trout of less weight than one pound. No pike or jack under twelve inches long, from the eye to the length of the tail. No perch under eight inches long. No flounder under seven inches long. No sole under seven inches long. No plaice or dab under seven inches long. No roach under eight inches long. No dace under six inches long. No smelt under six inches long. No gudgeon under five inches long. No whiting under eight inches long. No barbel under twelve inches long. No chub under nine inches long. Under pain to forfeit five pounds for every such offence. LIKITS OF TIME OF TAKING FISH Salmon and trout may be taken only from January 25th to September 10. Pike, jack, perch, roach, dace, chub, barbel, and gudgeon, may be taken between July 1st and March 1st. Bottom-fishing is prohibited in the river Thames, as far as the Corporation of London has jurisdiction, from the 1st of March to the first of June. The right of fishing in the sea, and in all rivers where the tide ebbs and flows, is aright common to all her majesty's subjects. RIGHT OF APPEAL. Any person or persons considering them- selves wronged or aggrieved by any decision against them by the magistrate or justice, may appeal against it at the quarter sessions. PBOTECTION OF PEESEEVES. " That no person shall fish with any sort of net, weel, night-hook, or any other device, except by angling ; or make use of any net, engine, or device to drive the fish out of any place which shall be staked by order of the Lord Mayor of the City of London for the time being, as conservator aforesaid; and that no person shall take up or remove any stake, burr, boat, or any other thing which shall have been driven down or sunk in any such place as aforesaid upon pain to forfeit and pay, from time to time, the sum of five pounds for every offence or breach of any part of this order. 1 ' City Ordinances, Item 44. 192 THE BOY'S OWN HANDBOOK. THE ANGLEE'S MONTHLY GUIDE. January. Jack (or Pike), Chub and Eoach are the only fish that will take a bait this month ; you may angle a few hours in the middle of the day for them, provided the water be clear. February. Carp, Perch, Eoach, Chub, Jack (or Pike), will feed, if the weather be mild ; at this season, fish in the middle of the day, in eddies near banks. March. Jack (or Pike), Carp, Perch, Eoach, Chub, Gudgeon, Dace, and Minnow will take a bait during this month about the middle of the day, in the shallows and eddies. April. All fish mentioned under March, as well as Trout, and sometimes Tench, in rivers ; Barbel, Bleak, Flounders, and Eels, in shallows, sharps, &c., may be taken this month. May. Eels will take a bait, night and day, during this month ; all freshwater fish now feed ; in ponds you may have sport, but still angle, for choice, in shallows and eddies. June. This is a bad month for the angler ; most fish (except Trout), having recently spawned, and being out of condition. July. All fresh-water fish will now take a variety of baits, but not very freely. Do not quit the streams and scours. August. Fish will bite more freely, especially in the morning and evening, during this month. September. Barbel, Eoach, Chub, and Dace now go into deep water, and there remain till spring. October. For trolling and bottom-fishing for Eoach and Chub, this month is good ; but not for fly-fishing, or angling in ponds or still waters. November. Eoach, Chub, Jack (or Pike) will still feed, some- times freely, in the middle of the day. December. Eoach, Chub, Jack (or Pike) will continue to afford the angler amusement, if favourable opportunity occur. The waters are, however, generally thick, or frozen up. i