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 IZ44K WALTON. 
 
 THE art of Angling that is to say, of catching fish with rod, 
 line, hook, and bait if not exactly " as old as the hills," is at all 
 events of very great antiquity, as can be proved by good evi- 
 dence. 
 
 At the time when the Israelites of old were making bricks in 
 Egypt, their masters, the Egyptians, were accustomed to amuse 
 themselves with the rod and line. On a very ancient tomb at 
 
 206703O
 
 4 " H^OYS OF JBgNGLAND 
 
 Thebes, supposed to date from the time of the Pharaohs, is 
 sculptured the figure of an Egyptian gentleman seated on a 
 chair, and fishing with a rod which has two lines attached to it. 
 Another ancient tomb, at Beni Hassan, has a carving of a man 
 with a lod and line, in the act of jerking a fish out of the water, 
 Avhile another man seated on the ground has caught a fish with 
 a hook and line only, being probably too poor to afford the 
 luxury of a rod. Another carving on a tomb near the Pyra- 
 mids shows a carving of men opening fish to preserve them ; 
 kippering them, in fact, as haddocks are kippered nowadays. 
 
 ill 
 
 The ruined city of Nineveh has at least as great an antiquity 
 as most of the Egyptian monuments, and in the Nineveh 
 marbles, brought from that ancient place to the British 
 Museum, are representations of fishermen fishing with rods 
 and lines. 
 
 Who introduced the art of angling into England is not known, 
 but the first person to write upon the subject, so far as is 
 known, was a noble lady. Dame Juliana Berners, who was for 
 some time prioress of Sopewell Nunnery, near St. Albans. 
 Her book, which treats not only of fishing, but of hunting, 
 hawking, and other field sports, is supposed 'to have been printed 
 at St. Albans in 1481 ; and it is certain that an edition of it 
 1 1 was printed at London in the year 1496. 
 
 Since that time many hundreds of books on Angling have 
 been written, but no author on the subject ever gained the 
 popularity of old Izaak Walton, who was born at Stafford about 
 a hundred years after Dame Berners wrote her book (he was 
 born on the 9th of August, 1 593), and who for many years was 
 proprietor of a hosier's and mercer's shop in Fleet Street, on 
 the same side of the way, and not many doors from the place 
 where The Boys of England is now published. 
 
 Izaak, like some people now employed about Fleet Street, 
 
 f 
 
 : .
 
 I 
 
 J!NGLING 
 
 was very fond of going when he could spare the time, to Tot- 
 tenham, Waltham, and other places on the banks of the River 
 Lea, to have a quiet day's fishing ; and he has written some 
 charming descriptions of that river and the surrounding country 
 as it appeared two hundred and fifty years ago. Izaak even- 
 tually retired from business and went to live at Winchester, 
 where there is a famous river for trout-fishing ; and when, at 
 a good old age, he brought his gentle, blameless life to a close, 
 he was buried in the fine old cathedral of the quiet, peaceful 
 city where he died. 
 j 
 
 The Father of Angling, as Izaak is called, will always be 
 gratefully remembered by all his disciples. 
 
 
 f fefrfng Gacfcle. 
 
 ji 
 
 The Angling Art is usually divided into three departments, 
 namely: 
 
 1. BOTTOM FISHING by which we understand capturing 
 with worms, gentles, pastes, and such like baits, the fish that 
 seek their food at or near the bottom of the river or pond they 
 inhabit. In this kind of fishing, in addition to the rod, line, 
 and hook, a float is usually employed to keep the bait raised 
 just above the bottom of the water, and also to let the angler 
 know when a fish is biting. 
 
 I 
 
 2. MlDWATER FISHING. This includes trolling for such fish 
 as pike, c., spinning for salmon, trout, pike, perch, &c. In 
 this kind of fishing the bait is either a real fish or some arti- 
 ficial substance contrived to look like one. The bait is moved
 
 NGLAND 
 
 rapidly in the water, and arouses the predatory instincts of the 
 'larger fish, which come to grief on the hooks with which the 
 bait is armed. 
 
 3. FLY FISHING. In this case the hook is disguised with 
 fragments of feather, fur, and other substances till it resembles 
 a large insect. This artificial fly being thrown upon the stream 
 and drawn down or across it, is mistaken by the fish for a fly 
 and swallowed under that mistake, with the result that so often 
 follows when a fish persists in swallowing a barbed steel hook. 
 
 RODS. Each kind of fishing as above described requires a 
 different kind of rod and line. For bottom fishing for roach, 
 dace, bream, and such fish, a light but rather stiff rod is used, 
 fifteen feet or more in length ; some fishers use poles twenty 
 feet lo'ng. For pike fishing, trolling, &c., a shorter and stronger 
 rod is used say ten, twelve, or fourteen feet long, with a few 
 very strong and large upright rings for the line to run through. 
 For fly fishing a very flexible rod is required, for it is by the 
 flexibility of the rod that the line and fly are cast far out on the 
 water. A trout fly-rod to be used with one hand should not 
 measure more than about twelve feet, or its use is very fatiguing 
 to the arm. The salmon rod used for throwing a fly on large 
 rivers is wielded with both hands, and measures seventeen or 
 even twenty feet. 
 
 These rods are generally in four, five, or more joints or pieces 
 .fitting together in sockets. But our modern rod makers have 
 contrived what they call a " general rod," which has tops of 
 different degrees of elasticity, thus fitting it for either kind of 
 'fishing. The extra tops are carried inside the lower joint or 
 " butt " of the rod, which is hollowed out for the purpose, or in 
 the handle of the landing net, which is similarly hollowed. 
 
 LINES are as various in their character as the rods. For a 
 fish that readily yields himself a captive without much struggling 
 it is evident that the finer the line the less chance there is of his 
 seeing it, and therefore the more likely is he to take the tempt- 
 ing bait he finds so close to his nose. But a salmon or a pike 
 of twenty pounds weight is a powerful beast, and must be held 
 by a strong line. 
 
 And the line must be considered as consisting of two parts : 
 the winch or reel line, which is that which runs through the 
 rings on the rod. This is generally a mixture of horsehair and 
 -silk, or silk only ; though of late years some cotton-spun lines
 
 I 
 
 JUJNGLING 
 
 have been introduced which seem to answer pretty well. Some 
 winch-lines are made tapering, the end that is attached to the 
 reel being as thick as a tolerably-stout whipcord, gradually 
 tapering to a thickness not much greater than that of a stout 
 thread. Between this reel-line and the hook comes the gut or. 
 casting line, of the substance called catgut, as fine almost as^ 
 horsehair and nearly transparent. In fly fishing, at least three 
 yards of gut are generally used between the hook and the winch- 
 line. 
 
 Very fine silk winch-lines are used generally in bottom fish- 
 ing, the taper lines in fly fishing, and a stouter line for trol- 
 ling, &c. But the old school of fishermen on the River Lea 
 seldom use a running line when fishing for the smaller fish ; 
 they make fast a short line to the top joint of the rod, play the 
 fish by means of the great length of the rod, and when they 
 wish to land the fish they slip off the butt joints one at a time 
 till they have a short handy rod to lift the fish out with. 
 
 REELS or WINCHES are generally used, though the Lea 
 fishermen, who, as a rule, use no running line, of course dispense 
 with them. The object of the reel is that the angler may have 
 - wound round it a good supply of line more than is usually re- 
 
 KEELS. 
 
 quired, so as to let it run out when he has a powerful fish on 
 the hook, or when, as in fly fishing, he wishes to throw the fly 
 upon the water some distance from him. The reel is fixed by. 
 means of rings or screws upon the butt or handle of the rod. 
 
 FLOATS are used in bottom fishing to keep the bait suspended
 
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 i NGLAND 
 
 a little above the bed of the river or pond. They are made of 
 quill or of cork, or something that will float on the water and 
 support a light weight. Floats are often very gorgeously 
 coloured, but the nearer they are in tint to the water the better. 
 Some say the colour of the float catches the angler's eye, but 
 we say the angler's eye should never be off his float when his 
 bait is in the water. Those shown in the engraving are three 
 quill floats of common shape. 
 
 PLUMMETS. 
 
 ANGLER S POCKET BOOK 
 
 HOOKS are made of various sizes and shapes. The angler 
 has to see that his hooks are made of good, well-tempered 
 steel which will not bend nor break, and that they have fine, 
 sharp points. Hooks, lines, floats, &c., may all be kept in an 
 angler's pocket-book like that shown in the above engraving. 
 
 OTHER ARTICLES required by the angler are split shot to be 
 placed on the line a little above the hook, so to keep the bait near 
 the bottom of the water ; boxes, bags, or kettles to contain bait 
 of different kinds ; a landing net ; a gaff or hook for landing 
 pike or salmon, and fish too large to go conveniently into a 
 landing nee ; a plummet, to ascertain the depth of the water ; 
 a disgorger, to extricate the hook from the mouth of the fish ; a 
 basket (called a creel) or a bag to put the fish in when caught ; 
 a sharp knife ; and various other small articles. 
 
 I 
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 1 1 
 
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 lij 
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 :
 
 JUjSTGLING 
 
 Bait. 
 
 Baits are also of various kinds. There is the ground bait, 
 which is thrown in at the spot where the angler intends work- 
 ing to attract the fish. A mixture of bread, oatmeal, and bran 
 well kneaded together forms the ordinary ground bait for roach, 
 bream, carp, chub, &c. A mixture of clay and bran rolled round 
 a stone is another ground bait the stone being intended to 
 keep the mixture from being washed away. Chopped worms, 
 clay, bran, and sheep's or bullock's blood mixed into a paste is 
 another good ground bait. The angler may take it as a general 
 rule that ground bait need only be used in quiet streams or in 
 ponds. In swift water it would be no use whatever. And the 
 ground bait used to draw the fish to the spot should be sparingly 
 used, or they will not trouble about tasting the bait upon the 
 hook. 
 
 Of baits for the hook, the principal are worms, gentles, beetles, 
 caterpillars, and pastes of various kinds. Also for the more 
 voracious kinds of fish, such as pike, &c., the smaller fish, such 
 as dace, roach, and minnows, are extremely useful. For fish 
 that seek their prey near the surface of the water, flies, real and 
 artificial, are best. 
 
 Lob worms are those commonly found in digging up the 
 earth ; they commonly reach the length of four or five inches. 
 Trout take them greedily, so do perch, bream, and eels. Red 
 worms and brandlings are found in or near manure heaps. The 
 brandlings are striped, but the red worms are smooth and 
 evenly-coloured throughout. They are all good bait for trout, 
 perch, roach, dace, barbel, carp, bream, tench, &c., but before 
 being used they should be scoured for some time. 
 
 To scour worms, put them in an earthern jar filled with 
 damp moss ; cover the jar so that they cannot escape. Take 
 them out every day or two and put them in fresh moss, or the 
 old moss well washed, and in a few days they will become far 
 more lively on the hook, brighter in colour, and tougher ; in 
 fact, more attractive in every way than when first taken from 
 the earth. 
 
 The ash-grub is found in the rotten bark of a tree which has 

 
 II 
 
 10 " 
 
 been felled for some time ; it is an excellent bait for grayling, 
 chub, dace, or roach, and may be used all the year round. It 
 should be kept in wheat bran. 
 
 The cabbage worm is a good bait for chub, dace, roach, or 
 trout. 
 
 The locality of the crab-tree worm is indicated by its name. 
 It is a good bait for roach, dace, trout, and chub. 
 
 Flag or dock worms inhabit the fibres of flag roots i i old pits 
 or ponds. They are excellent baits for tench, bream, bleak, 
 grayling, carp, perch, dace, and roach. 
 
 Gentles, or maggots, are bred by hanging up a piece of meat 
 until it putrifies ; they should be kept on flesh, and when they 
 have arrived at their full size, a little bran and damp sand may 
 be put in the vessel in which they are immured, for the purpose 
 of scouring them ; they will be fit for use in a day or two, and 
 are tempting bait for all kinds of fish. When putting a gentle 
 on the hook, you must insert the hook at one end of it, and 
 bring it out at the other, and then draw the gentle back until it 
 completely covers the point of the hook. 
 
 : : 
 
 The tag-tail may be procured in meadows or chalky lands, 
 after rain, or in the morning, during the months of March or 
 April ; it is accounted a good bait for trout in cloudy weather, 
 or when the water is muddy. 
 
 White grubs, or white bait, are much larger than gentles, and 
 may be found in sandy and meadow lands. 
 
 Wasp-grubs may be taken from the nest ; they require to be 
 hardened in a warm oven, and always prove a good bait for all 
 such fish as bite at gentles. 
 
 1 
 
 Paste baits are made of fine white bread, or bread with a 
 portion of tasty cheese in it, or bread dipped in the liquor in 
 which greaves have been boiled, or boiled wheat. All the sub- 
 stances must be crushed and mixed till they become a firm, 
 tenacious paste, not likely to be washed from the hook in tolera- 
 bly still waters. 
 
 When working up paste baits, be particularly careful to have
 
 JANGLING 
 
 ir 
 
 I 
 
 i! 
 
 II 
 
 clean hands, and knead your pastes thoroughly, so that all the 
 materials may be well incorporated. 
 
 Sheeps' blood and saffron make a good paste for roach, 
 bleak, &c. 
 
 For barbel, an excellent paste may be made by dipping the 
 crumb of new white bread in the liquor in which chandler's 
 greaves have been boiled, adding a little of the greaves, and 
 working it up till it is stiff. 
 
 Being thus equipped with rod, line, bait, &c. let us suppose 
 the angler to have arrived at the water-side. His first business 
 is to put his rod together. Then having attached a plummet to 
 the line, he ascertains the depth, and adjusts his float so that 
 the hook when baited will be near, but not resting on, the bed 
 of the pond or river. Then the hook is baited. 
 
 We assume that the young angler is out for a day's bottom 
 fishing, in pursuit of roach, dace, bream, carp, gudgeon, tench, 
 barbel, &c. " Let us consider how to take those fish. 
 
 ROACH do not generally lie in rapid streams, except in the 
 autumn months, and are always out of condition until the 
 middle of July. Seek out a gravelly bed in a soft-flowing deep 
 stream. The home of the roach is on the side of deep streams 
 and under bridges. In rivers they bite all the year round, in 
 ponds only in summer. 
 
 
 i 
 
 it 
 
 This fish is one generally considered easily taken, but it is a 
 great error to suppose so. For roach fishing the rod should
 
 12 950YS OF F*a NGLAND 
 
 long and light, *he line of extremely fine gut, and the hook of 
 the size known in tackle-sellers' shops as No. 9 or 10. 
 
 A paste made of a second day's bread, slightly dipped in 
 water, with a little vermilion added to it, so as to make it the 
 colour of salmon, is the best bait for them. 
 
 Hold the rod so low that the end of it is not more than four- 
 I teen inches above the float, which should have shot attached to 
 
 it, in order that little more than an eighth of it may ride above 
 the surface, as this species of fish bite so delicately that without 
 you pay the closest attention to your float you will lose four 
 bites out of six. Use a single line, and have a landing-net 
 handy, otherwise you run great risk of losing your fish. 
 
 Besides the paste above described, the roach, when he is in a. 
 biting humour, will freely take gentles, small worms, &c. In 
 fact, most of the ordinary baits. 
 
 i I i 
 
 THE PERCH. This fish is a bold, voracious one, and freely 
 takes a bait. Strong tackle is necessary in angling for it a 
 gut or twisted hair line, a cork float, and a No. 7 hook. 
 
 I 
 
 Marsh, brandling, cabbage, and well-scoured red-worms, 
 maggots, and wasp-grubs are excellent bait for this fish. 
 
 i; 
 
 II 
 
 i 
 
 Ground baits of stewed malt grains, or lob-worms, cut to 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 pieces, should be thrown in the water.
 
 NGLING ffoiUIDE. 
 
 Perch lie near bridges, mill ponds, and locks in navigable 
 rivers and canals, and in other streams, near rushes, dark, still 
 holes, and eddies, and gravelly parts of rivers. 
 
 THE GUDGEON. The gudgeon is a very bold-biting fish, and 
 gives much amusement to the angler. It is in season from 
 April to October, and may be taken at any time of the day, 
 
 particularly in dull weather. The best bait is a blood-worm, 
 and the tackle should be a fine gut or hair line, light cork float, 
 and a No. 9 or 10 hook. . 
 
 Gudgeons frequent the shallows, where the river is free from 
 weeds, with a gravelly or sandy bottom, which must be often 
 stirred with a rake made for that purpose. 
 
 In gudgeon fishing be careful to get the exact depth of the 
 water, and let your bait be close to the ground. In the rivers 
 Thames, Lea, and Colne gudgeons are very numerous, and 
 sometimes great quantities are taken. 
 
 THE BREAM. The bream is principally found in lakes and 
 still rivers. It may be taken in the summer and autumn, but, 
 as it spawns during June and July, it is best to angle for it from 
 the end of July to the end of September ; and in these months 
 from sunrise till eight o'clock in the morning, and from five 
 o'clock till dusk in the evening. In some books on angling the 
 angler is recommended to fish for bream and other coarse fish 
 in April and May ; but by a recent Act of Parliament that is 
 illegal between the i4th of March and the i6th of June, except 
 in private preserves. 
 
 Use a gut line, quill float, and No. 10 hook, and let the bait
 
 >OYS OF "ENGLAND" 
 
 touch the bottom. The baits necessary are well-scoured red- 
 worms, maggots, flag- worms, and brandlings. 
 
 BREAM. 
 
 Use lob-worms cut in pieces, and grains, as ground baits be- 
 fore you commence angling. 
 
 The angler should be very silent, keep from the edge of the 
 water as much as possible, and strike the instant the float is 
 drawn under the surface of the water. 
 
 THE DACE. The dace is found in most rivers. It is a hand- 
 some fish, and is generally accounted light and nourishing food. 
 
 The hook should be a size larger than for roach, but in all 
 other respects the tackle may be the same. Use a ground-bait 
 of bran and clay mixed, and throw it into the water frequently 
 while angling. 
 
 
 BACK. 
 
 Dace will take red-worms, maggots, wasp-grubs, greaves, and 
 a paste made of cheese and honey ; they are partial to red-
 
 JANGLING <H>UIDE. 
 
 worms in the spring, and in the summer, if you use gentles, put 
 two at a time on the hook ; a small piece of greaves with a 
 gentle is also a very good bait. 
 
 Dace continue in season till October, after which month they 
 seldom bite unless the weather is very warm and mild. 
 
 THE CARP is an extremely cunning fish ; in fact, from its 
 extreme craftiness, it is by some called the freshwater fox. It 
 may be found in lakes, ponds, and rivers. In running waters it 
 frequents the deepest and quietest parts of the stream, especially 
 if the surface of the water is well shaded with water-lilies or 
 similar aquatic vegetation. 
 
 The best time to fish for the carp is early morning, or to- 
 wards sunset, as it seldom bites in the middle of the day unless 
 some soft showers of rain have been falling. Use a long, light 
 rod, with reel, and a line of the finest description, and bait with 
 a small red worm, or gentles, or wasp-grubs. Approach the 
 spot where you think the carp may be found with the utmost 
 caution, sheltering yourself behind a bush or some reeds, so 
 that the cunning water-fox may not even see your shadow. If 
 you have ascertained the depth of the water beforehand so 
 much the better. Drop in your hook and bait so quietly that 
 the artful fish may think it is only some small matter that has 
 fallen from the bank, or bush, or reeds above him. 
 
 THE TENCH sometimes reaches the weight of three or four 
 pounds. It is dark in colour, almost black on the back, on the 
 sides a dull green with a tinge of gold. When caught it feels
 
 
 i6 
 
 lOYS OF 
 
 NGLAND 
 
 very slimy to the touch. Some people consider it good eating, 
 but that is all a matter of taste. In many places tench are so 
 abundant that a great number of them may be taken in the 
 course of a day's angling. 
 
 They generally feed from daylight till nine o'clock in the 
 morning, and from five until dark in the evening. 
 
 The bait they like best is a well-scoured marsh-worm, not too 
 large, with a No. 7 hook. 
 
 The tench thrives best in ponds where the bottom is com- 
 posed of mud or clay, but at times they may be caught in 
 rivers. 
 
 They will take the same baits and be found in the same 
 haunts as the carp. They will bite freely in the summer 
 months, especially when the days have been dark, warmj and 
 muggy, after fine mild showers. They spawn in May. 
 
 The tench, like the carp, will live a long time out of the 
 water. The angler should learn the haunts of the fish ere he 
 angles for them. 
 
 He should know the depth of the water, and whether the 
 bottom is a clayey, muddy, or gravelly one, for he must fish an 
 inch or two from the bottom, and suit his ground bait to it 
 
 They are not easily met in rivers, except where they are pre- 
 served. In ponds, however, they are plentiful enough, and 
 afford good sport from June to October.
 
 II 
 
 EELS. The eel can always be found in the mud of the river 
 or pond ; the bottom fisher seldom troubles himself much about 
 them, but they are to be found more or less in every brook, 
 river, and pond in the United Kingdom. 
 
 Eel weirs were once common in many parts of Ireland, and 
 in the fen countries they are yet preserved and well known. 
 
 Every angler knows the haunts of the eel, how he hides under 
 big stones, in holes, under bridges, by half-sunken timbers, 
 under the roots of trees, and hosts of similar places. 
 
 ! 
 
 i = 
 
 Bobbing at night for them is a very favourite amusement. It 
 is done by stringing large lob-worms completely through with a 
 needle threaded with worsted yarn till you have a couple of 
 yards or more so threaded. Then make a coil of that string of 
 worms and fasten it so that it shall not come untied ; attach it 
 to a stout string fastened to the end of a pole, and then drop 
 the tempting bait into some likely pool. 
 
 The person holding the pole soon feels the sharp tug of the 
 eel, who holds so tenaciously that he submits to be pulled out 
 of the water rather than lose his prize. 
 
 The moment he is safe on shore clap your foot upon his body 
 and with your knife decapitate him, which will speedily ~ut a 
 stop to his contortions and twistings. 
 
 MINNOWS. Nearly all rivers produce a great quantity of 
 these lively little fish ; they seldom grow above two inches in 
 length ; they rank high as a bait for trout or perch ; use the 
 silvery bright ones in preference to the big-bellied yellow ones. 
 
 it
 
 n 
 
 18 
 
 ;OYS OF T^NGLAND " 
 
 To catch them you must place your float so as the bait may 
 pass on or near the ground, then drop your bait in gently on 
 the shallows near mill tails, or any other eddy where there is a 
 
 THK MINNOW. 
 
 gravelly bottom, and strike the moment they bite'; put them in 
 your kettle as soon as caught, by which means you may keep 
 them alive till you want them for bait. 
 
 .ft 
 
 l 
 
 SUMMER SPOKT. 
 
 THE CHUB in summer delights in scours, tumbling bays, and 
 deep and rapid parts of rivers ; and, in the autumn and winter, 
 in the little holes under banks, where the stream is sheltered by 
 overhanging willows.
 
 '11! 
 
 >UIDE. 
 
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 i = 
 
 It is a bold biting fish, and may be caught all the year round ; 
 in summer it bites during the whole of the day, but best in the 
 morning and evening ; it may also be taken in the night time. 
 
 The baits adopted for chub are maggots, red-worms, gentles, 
 bullock's brains, and pith from the backbone of a bullock. 
 
 Use running tackle, gut line, quill float, and No. 8 or 9 hook. 
 Strike the moment you perceive a bite, and let the fish run, 
 giving it plenty of line, otherwise it will break loose, as it 
 usually darts furiously away to the opposite side the moment it 
 is struck. 
 
 Amongst other freshwater fish which afford good sport to the 
 angler may be mentioned 
 
 THE BARBEL. This fish takes its name from the peculiar 
 beard or wattles which hang from its mouth. It is not reckoned 
 a very choice fish for the table, but is much sought after by 
 
 BARBEL.
 
 20 " JtljOYS OF JE^NGLAND 
 
 
 anglers in consequence of the sport it affords. They swim in 
 shoals, and are fond of the deep currents of bridges, weirs, and 
 locks ; they love to lie and feed on the insects borne down by 
 the current. 
 
 II 
 
 A day's fishing for barbel in July, August, and September, on 
 the Trent or Thames, is an event to be remembered. London 
 anglers are very skilful in capturing barbel. 
 
 A much smaller and less important fish than the barbel is 
 THE RUDD, which very much resembles the roach so far as its 
 external appearance is concerned. It thrives best in ponds. It 
 will take red-worms, paste, and gentles, and the tackle requisite 
 consists of a gut line, quill float, and Nc. 10 hook. Let the bait 
 touch the bottom, and strike the moment you see a bite. 
 
 THE RUFFE is a fierce-looking, bold biter, and resembles a 
 small perch. They may be caught during the whole of the 
 summer months, and afford excellent sport to the young angler, 
 and, wherever one is caught, be sure there are plenty more. 
 The bait a small worm or gentle. 
 
 !: 
 
 THE LOACH is not a pleasant fish to look at. He has a 
 bullet-head, and his heavy shoulders give him a clumsy look. 
 This fish will bite freely at a worm, and will not despise gentles. 
 
 THE LAMPREY belongs to the eel tribe, and is caught in a 
 similar manner. The gut of a fowl, or other garbage, may be 
 substituted for the worm. A small lamprey is a good bait for 
 several kinds of fish if put on the hook with the worm. 
 
 THE JACK OR PIKE Resembles no other fish in form or 
 colour ; the head is flat and hard on the top, the jaws large, and 
 full of sharp, strong teeth, as are likewise the throat and tongue, 
 which inclining inwards, renders it impracticable for any other 
 animal to escape from its hungry fangs ; the colour of its back 
 and sides is grey, mottled with large, irregular spots of a sandy- 
 green hue ; the belly is lighter, approaching to white. 
 
 This fish is one of the best flavoured and highly esteemed of 
 the freshwater tribe, except the trout. 
 
 It spawns in March or April, and, although generally 
 reckoned good from Midsummer to the end of the year, it is in 
 its prime in September and October only.
 
 JUJSTGLING <g>UIDE. 21 
 
 I 
 
 They are numerous in many rivers, canals, lakes, and 
 ponds, &c., and are commonly caught up to eight or ten pounds 
 in weight ; some grow much larger, and have been known to 
 reach thirty or forty pounds, and when so large they are called 
 pike. 
 
 The baits used in fishing for it are roach, dace, gudgeon, 
 minnows, chub, bleak, and young frogs. A bait ought to weigh 
 from one to four ounces. 
 
 It is a most voracious fish, and when on the feed bites eagerly, 
 being seldom lost from any other cause than not allowing it 
 sufficient time after it runs with the bait to gorge it. 
 
 In its food it is not at all particular, as it will take anything 
 down, from a young duck to a leaden plummet. 
 
 THE JACK. 
 
 i 
 
 There are several methods of catching the pike or jack ; 
 namely, by 
 
 TROLLING with what is called a gorge-hook, on which a dead 
 fish is placed. The gorge-hook is a double hook fastened to 
 some twisted brass wire, round which and the shanks of the 
 hook a piece of lead about the thickness of a quill has been 
 cast. This lead should not be so long as the body of the fish 
 you intend to use as bait. The gorge-hook is baited by means 
 of a needle with which the wire is drawn through the body of 
 the bait, the end of the wire coming out near the middle of the 
 fork of the tail, while the double hooks lie close to the mouth, 
 with the barbs turning upward but not projecting very much. 
 Between the brass wire and the reel-line should be some strong 
 gimp with two or three swivels attached, which prevent the line
 
 22 
 
 HOYS OF 
 
 NGLAND 
 
 from getting in a tangle by twisting when the bait is drawn 
 through the water. 
 
 The rod in trolling should be short and strong ; the rings few 
 in number, and larger than those used for ordinary fishing. 
 The bait is swung out as far as possible into the water, and 
 then the angler, holding the rod in his left hand, draws in the 
 line with his right, with a succession of regular pulls, bringing 
 
 
 JACK CAUGHT. 
 
 in three or four feet of it at a time. This gives the dead bait 
 the appearance of being alive, though feeble, and master Jack, 
 thinking it an easy prey, makes for it, and carries it off to his
 
 J|NGLING- (^JUIDE. 23 
 
 usual lurking place, where he must be allowed some time to 
 swallow it. When you fancy he has accomplished that feat, 
 strike sharply to fix the hooks in him, play him till he is weary, 
 bring him to the bank, and let him slide into the landing net, 
 and then transfer him to the green sward. 
 
 But beware how you put your fingers into his mouth to extri- 
 cate the hooks, for his teeth are constructed on strict business 
 principles, namely, to penetrate as deeply as possible ; and he 
 can bite ! 
 
 Some modern anglers have, what is called, "spoon bait," 
 that is, a piece of bright metal shaped like the bowl of a spoon, 
 and armed with several hooks. This bright object arouses 
 either the hunger or the anger of the jack who makes for it, 
 and seldom escapes one of the sharp-pointed barbs. 
 
 Some fish for pike with live bait on a single hook. In this 
 case, the hook is passed either through the lips of the bait, or 
 underneath the front part of the fin on the back. Others use 
 a double hook, the gimp, to which it is tied, being passed 
 underneath the skin of the bait near the gills, and brought out 
 behind the back fin, the bend of the hooks being brought up to 
 the point where the gimp first entered. The gimp is then 
 attached to the line. Both for live and dead bait, a baiting 
 1 1 needle is used. 
 
 The live bait is thrown in with the addition of a float, which 
 keeps it from sinking to the bottom ; it is then allowed to go as 
 it pleases, till the jack stops its progress. 
 i 
 
 Artificial baits of many kinds can be procured at most tackle 
 shops . 
 
 The best time for jack fishing is late in the year, when the 
 water begins to be tolerably free from weeds, which, at an 
 earlier period of the year, might entangle the line, and lose the 
 angler his fish. 
 
 Though the jack or pike is the trollers usual prey, trolling is 
 sometimes practised for salmon, or the large trout that are 
 found in the Thames, or in the Scottish lakes. In this latter 
 case, a large minnow, or a loach, is the best bait ; in pike fish- 
 ing, a roach is commonly used. But to take salmon or trout, 
 the best and most scientific way is by fly fishing.
 
 24 "4t*OYS OF t ^ 
 
 I 
 
 ffisbing. 
 
 The fish most frequently taken by the artificial fly are trout 
 and salmon. Dace too frequently rise to the fly, and being 
 lively little fish, afford good sport to beginners in fly fishing. 
 
 The rod and line have already been described, but the art of 
 throwing so that the line shall be fully extended, and the fly 
 fall lightly upon the water cannot be very well described ; but 
 one of the things a learner should have firmly impressed upon 
 his mind is, not to try with too long a line at first. When he 
 can manage a line the length of his rod, so as to make the fly 
 fall near the spot he intends, then he may gradually practice 
 with a longer line. 
 
 It is generally recommended to fish up the stream, drawing 
 the fly down, and across the current of the water. This is 
 natural, for a drowning fly that has fallen on the water cannot 
 swim up stream, though it may, by struggling, get nearer the 
 river bank. 
 
 The flies are best bought ready made. There are some scores 
 known to anglers. Those shown in the illustration are types of 
 many varieties. 
 
 And, as the trout is most commonly fished for with the fly, he 
 shall have the honour of first place, even before his large and 
 lordly kinsman, the salmon. 
 
 THE TROUT. This fish is the grand object of all angler's 
 ambition, especially those who delight in fly-fishing. It is a fish 
 highly valued in all nations ; it is a clean, aristocratic fish, that 
 revels not in mud and dirty streams, but loves those that leap 
 and rush over a clear, gravelly bed ; and when the verdant 
 spring comes out in her daintiest apparel, Master Trout comes 
 out with her ; when the daisy peeps out, and the violet per- 
 fumes the air, then does Master Trout show speckled body in 
 the shallows and rough streams ; but, during the heat of sum- 
 mer, he runs into deeper water and shady pools . At times he 
 frequents the sharpest rivers, water-falls, and mill-falls, then he 
 will feed upon insects, worms, and flies, or very small fish, 
 
 ij
 
 which he pursues with such rapidity as renders it impossible for 
 them to escape. 
 
 j! 
 
 1 1 
 
 I 
 
 = 
 
 THE TROUT. 
 
 The River Wandle is celebrated for the beauty and rich 
 flavour of this fish, as well as many others. There, when in 
 season, they are cf a pink tint, and the large ones, when boiled, 
 cut and taste like salmon. 
 
 TROUT FLIES. Flies are so cheap to purchase at the dealer's, 
 and so difficult for amateurs to tie properly, that we recommend 
 our readers to buy what they require. We give, however, a 
 description of those represented on the engraving. 
 
 (a.} The wing of the woodcock, with a single turn of red hackle 
 or landrail feather, dressed with yellow silk freely exposed on 
 the body ; but, for fishing in dark-coloured waters, dress the 
 fly wth scarlet thread. 
 
 (3.) The ear of the hare, body, with a corn bunting, or wing 
 of a chaffinch ; the wing of the woodcock will also do, if made 
 of a small, light-coloured feather taken from the inside of the 
 wing. 
 
 (c!) The wing the same as the last fly, with a single turn of a 
 soft, black hen hackle, or a feather from the starling's shoulder, 
 dressed with dark-coloured silk. 
 
 (d.) Is a fly called the golden palmer.
 
 26 
 
 ;OYS OF 
 
 NGLAND 
 
 (e.) Is that of the stone-fly. 
 
 (f.) Is the fly called March brown. 
 
 (g.} Is the fly so well known to all anglers as the May-fly. 
 
 TROUT FLTS. 
 
 { j 
 
 I! 
 
 II 
 
 !! 
 
 l! 
 If. 
 
 If 
 
 | 
 
 THE SALMON is undoubtedly prince of fishes, but the rivers 
 he frequents are so strictly preserved that the killing of him is 
 a most expensive luxury. The streams of the north, south, and 
 west of the island are his haunts ; but the sluggish waters of 
 Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex have no attraction 
 for him. The salmon is a migratory fish, spending part of his
 
 UIDE. 
 
 time in salt water, and then running as far as possible up some 
 swift river for spawning purposes. 
 
 THE SALMON. 
 
 The rod used in salmon fishing is longer than the trout rod, 
 and requires to be used with both hands. The flies, too, arc 
 larger and whipped upon much stouter hooks than those with 
 which the trout is ensnared. They are of gaudier colours, too ; 
 crimson, gold, and purple being freely employed, the artificial 
 fly when dressed being as a rule a much more gorgeous object 
 than the fish is likely to meet with in England, Ireland, or Scot- 
 land. In Wales the fish are said to prefer flies of less gaudy 
 tints. The illustration shows two typical of muny more. 
 
 SALMON FLTES. 
 
 THE GRAYLING. This fish has of late years become a 
 favourite with fly fishers in the late autumn, when trout and 
 
 I!
 
 28 " 1ioYS OF 
 
 I 
 
 salmon are unseasonable. It takes the fly freely in most states 
 of the weather, and being a game fish affords good sport to the 
 fisher. 
 
 if 
 
 The grayling is an extremely beautiful fish, and inhabits most 
 of the clear, rapid rivers which have a sandy or gravelly bottom, 
 ajid its favourite haunts are the sides of the stream. 
 
 The grayling will take caddis, marsh, and dew-worms, flies, 
 both natural and artificial, and white grubs. Handle your 
 tackle skilfully and gently, as the fish's mouth is exceedingly 
 tender, and easily gives way with the jerk of the hook. The 
 principal months in which to angle for it are September, 
 October, and November, when it is in its best condition. 
 
 - = 
 
 c . 
 
 I 
 
 GRAYLING. 
 
 When fly fishing for this tenant of the stream, it is necessary 
 to have a fine gut, and smaller fly, and be more ready with hand 
 and eye than when angling for trout. 
 
 Besides, as aforesaid, dace will rise to the fly on warm sum- 
 mer days. And roach also have been known to do so, though 
 not so frequently as the dace or even the gudgeon. 
 
 Very fine tackle is necessary in throwing a fly for trout, gray- 
 ling, or dace, especially in England, where, as a rule, our 
 streams are very clear. 
 
 And so, with these practical instructions finished, we pass on 
 to another part of the subject namely, the times when it is 
 lawful to fish. I f 
 
 . 
 |
 
 JPtNGLING <H>UIDE. 2 9 
 
 II 
 
 In order that the finny tribes may increase and multiply, it 
 has been thought proper to enact by law that they shall not be 
 caught during their spawning time. The period during which 
 it is unlawful to take fish is called the close time. 
 
 In the various rivers of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England 
 the salmon and trout come into fit condition for taking at dif- 
 ferent times, therefore the beginning and the end of the angling 
 season varies in different places or districts, the exact time 
 being settled by the conservators of fisheries for the various 
 districts. 
 
 For a long time the coarse fish taken by bottom fishing had 
 little (if any) protection, but at length their numbers so dimin- 
 ished that it was found necessary to appoint a 
 
 CLOSE-TIME FOR COARSE FISH. 
 
 By the Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1878, a close-time for 
 " freshwater fish " (which are defined to include all kinds of fish, 
 other than pollen, trout, and char, which live in fresh water, 
 except those kinds which migrate to or from the open sea) is 
 fixed from 15th March to i$th June, both inclusive, for all parts 
 of England and Wales except Norfolk and Suffolk. The penalty 
 for taking or selling freshwater fish in that period is ^2 for a 
 first, and ^5 for a subsequent conviction. The close season, 
 however, does not apply to fish taken in private waters by leave 
 of the owner, in public waters by leave of a Board of Conser- 
 vators, or taken for bait or for scientific purposes. 
 
 Fishery districts may be wholly or partially exempted with 
 the sanction of the Secretary of State, and the Avon and Stour, 
 Avon and Erme, Kent and Leven, Wye and Towy fishery 
 districts have been so exempted ; also the Severn district as 
 regards pike ; and as regards other fish than grayling, certain 
 parts of the district. In Norfolk and Suffolk local close-times 
 have been fixed for various fish under the Norfolk and Suffolk 
 Fisheries Act, 1877, from March ist to June soth. For eels a 
 close-time exists (so far as fixed engines in salmon rivers are 
 concerned) in England from January ist to June 24th; in 
 Ireland, with one or two exceptions, from January nth to 
 June 3oth. 
 
 The bye-laws made by the Thames Conservancy Board, whose
 
 ;OYS OF 
 
 NGLAND 
 
 jurisdiction extends from Cricklade in Wilts to Yantlet creek in 
 Kent, regulate the kind of nets and their mesh, and the size of 
 fish that may be lawfully captured. No nets, except for bait, 
 may be used above Richmond Bridge. 
 
 The minimum size of fish that may be captured is pike, 
 1 8 in. ; trout, 16 in. ; barbel, 13 in. ; chub, bream, and carp, 
 10 in. ; grayling, 9 in. ; roach, plaice, and also tench and perch, 
 8 in. ; flounders, soles, and whiting, 7 in dace and rubb, 6 in. ; 
 
 THE PLEASURE OF FISHING. 
 
 smelt, 5 X in.; gudgeon, 4 in. The close-time for freshwater 
 fish under the Freshwater Fishery Act, as given above, applies
 
 31 
 
 to the Thames, and so presumably does the close-time for trout 
 and salmon. The board, however, has fixed a close-time for 
 salmon, trout, and char from nth Septumber to 3ist March. 
 Angling for eels is also prohibited during the fresh-water close- 
 time. For smelts the close-time is from 2$th March to 2$th 
 July, and lampreys from ist April to 23rd August. The use of 
 night-lines and fishing at night are prohibited above Richmond 
 Bridge. 
 
 i 
 jftnal Ibinte to Hnalers. 
 
 I 
 
 It is generally understood that, when two or three persons are 
 angling in the same stream, there shall be a distance of thirty 
 yards between them. 
 
 If the learner wishes to become a complete angler, he must 
 use fine tackle, as the skill and care which such tackle require 
 will soon make him a master of the art. 
 
 When the tackle breaks, the angler must not mourn over the 
 accident, but do his best to remedy it by speedily repairing the 
 damage, and resuming his sport. 
 
 The angler must wear strong boots or shoes, and keep his 
 feet dry, unless he wishes to become an interesting invalid. 
 
 And if he values his health, he will abstain from drinking 
 water out of rivers or ponds when he is in a perspiration, or 
 feels parched with thirst. 
 
 If the weather is very cold, or the wind sets very strongly 
 from the east or north, the angler will meet with but little 
 sport. 
 
 Heavy showers of rain or hail, and thunder storms, are like- 
 wise extremely prejudicial to his amusement, and as, in the 
 winter months, few opportunities are afforded for the exercise 
 
 I 
 
 i
 
 "" 
 
 (I 
 
 32 JANGLING "UIDE. 
 
 i! 
 
 i 
 
 II 
 
 of his talents out of doors, he should, while snugly screened 
 from the pinching blasts, attend to all the little repairs which 
 may be necessary to his tackle. 
 
 Such care and attention during unfavourable seasons may 
 add to the angler's success, when he can once more follow his 
 favourite recreation.
 
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