ft [Front. ANGLING; OE, HOW TO ANGLE, AND WHERE TO GO. BY KOBEKT BLAKEY, H AUTHOR OF THE "HISTORY OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIND," " SHOOTIJf G,' CBtfitiott, biitfy Illustrations. LONDON: G. ROUTLEDGE & CO. EARRINGDON STREET; NEW YOEK: 18, BEEKMAN STREET. 1858. 5V/ y ' CONTENTS. PART I. HOW TO ANGLE. CHAP. PAGS* I. INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS 1 n.__ON TACKLE AND BAIT FOR ANGLING .... 6 III. OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FlSH THE SALMON . 27 IV. THE TROUT 37 V. THE PIKE 53 VI. THE GREYLING . 66. VII. THE PERCH 68 VIII. THE CARP 71 IX. THE TENCH AND BARBEL 75 X. THE CHUB, BREAM, AND ROACH 79 XI. THE GUDGEON, DACE, AND EEL 85 XII. THE CHAR, BLEAK, LAMPREY, LOACH, MINNOW, BUFF, ETC. 90 XIII. LAWS AND REGULATIONS FOR TAKING FISH . . .91 PART II WHERE TO GO. CHAP. PACK I. ENGLAND AND WALES 95- II. SCOTLAND ......... 140 III. IRELAND 156 IV. CONTINENTAL STATES . 172. 074 ANGLING. PART L HOW TO ANGLE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. THE art of angling is one of the most ancient amusements and practices of which we have any record in the history of the human family. We read of it in the Old Testament ; and in the records of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and the whole of the eastern section of the globe, once the seat of powerful empires, and of a civilized people, we have innumerable testimonies in their several sepulchral and architectural remains, that angling as we angle at this day was an art well known, and generally practised, both as an amuse- ment, and as a means of support. In the polished and literary states of Greece and Rome we have still more pointed and irre- fragable testimony of the high antiquity of the art. The bucolic writers of Greek poetry descant upon the subject in a variety of forms ; while graver historians among that singular and enlightened people dwell upon the art as one firmly embedded in the permanent customs and habits of the nation. The literature of Rome like- wise portrays the existence of the gentle art among the warlike conquerors of the world. Not only formal works were composed on the subject, but we find that the classic poets, both serious and comic, make many direct allusions to the amusement of the rod- fisher, and to the fish he was in the habit of catching. From the Christian era, and during the first centuries of the decline of Roman power and conquest, we find that angling con- tinued to be one of the common pursuits of many nations, then in a state of transition from barbarism to refinement and knowledge. Pliny wrote on fish ; and Ausonius, between the third and fourth century, expatiates with rapture on the abundance of fine salmon that were caught in the "blue Moselle ;" a river in Trance, that i 2 ANGLING. ilows into the Rhine on the northern frontier of the country. The old chroniclers and scholastic writers often mention the piscatory- art ; and the Church, then in full power, took the subject of fish generally under its own guidance, and regulated both the sport in taking them, and the using of them for food. In every country in Europe, where any degree of progress had been made in learning and civilization during the middle ages, we find numerous traces of fishermen and their labours, even long before the art of printing became known and practised. It is now an established fact, admitted by all writers, that the English nation has been, from the earliest days of its history, the most distinguished and zealous propagators of the art of rod- fishing. And it is interesting to remark, in passing, that the historical memorials we possess, of the state of the angling art among the Anglo-Saxon tribes ^ who first settled in this country, throw a great light On the origin of this striking predilection for the sport. The Anglo-Saxons, we are told, ate various kinds of fish, but the eel was a decided favourite. They used these fish as abundantly as swine. Grants and charters are sometimes regulated by payments made in these fish. Pour thousand eels were a yearly present from the monks of Ramsay to those of Peterborough. VYe read of two places purchased for twenty-one pounds, wherein sixteen thousand of these fish were caught every jear ; and, in one o'aarter, twenty fishermen are stated, who furnished, during the same period, sixty thousand eels to the monastery. Eel dykes are often mentioned in the boundaries of their lands.* In the dialogues of Elfric, composed for the use of the Anglo- Saxon youth in the learning of the Latin tongue, we find frequent mention made of fishermen, and matters relating to their craft. In one dialogue the fisherman is asked, "What gettest thou by thine art?" "Big loaves, clothing, and money." ^ "How do you take them ? " "I ascend a ship, and cast my net into the river ; I also throw in a hook, a bait, and a rod." " Suppose the fishes are unclean?" "I throw the unclean out, and take the clean for food." " Where do you sell your fish ? " " In the city." " Who buys them?" "The citizens; I cannot take so many as I can sell." " What fishes do you take ? " " Eels, haddocks, minnows, and eel-pouts, skate, and lampreys, and whatever swims in the rivers." " Why do you not fish in the sea ? " " Sometimes I do ; but rarely, because a great ship is necessary here."t The historian Bede tells us, that Wilfrid rescued the people of Sussex from famine in the eighth century, by teaching them to catch fish : " for though the sea and their rivers abounded with fish, they had no more skill in the art than to take eels. The servants 'of Wilfrid threw into the sea nets made out of those by which they had obtained eels, and thus directed them to a new source of plenty."^ * Dugdale's Monas., p. 2-14. t Turner's Anglo-Saxons, vol. iii. p. 23. J Bede, lib. 4. INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 3 It is an article in the Penitentiale of Egbert, that fish might be bought, though dead. In the same work, herrings are allowed to be eaten and it states that, when boiled, they are salutary in fever and diarrhoea, and that their gall, mixed with pepper, is good for a sore mouth.* Such are the historical relations between our Saxon forefathers and the art of angling ; and we can trace no abatement in the ori- ginal impulse to cultivate and extend its practice in the subsequent epochs of our nation. We carry, at this moment, a love 01 the sport to every quarter of the globe, wherever our conquests and commercial connections extend. In fact, we are the great piscatory scWlmasters that "are abroad," teaching ^ all mankind how to multiply their rational out-door pleasures, in the pursuit of an amusement that is at once contemplative, intellectual, and healthful. Nor are there any good grounds for complaining that other nations have been slow or dull scholars^in taking advantage of our zealpus labours and instructions. Within the last forty years, since the intercourse with our continental neighbours has been upon the most intimate and visiting footing, there has been a very marked improvement, not only as it relates to the practising of rod-fishing itself, in all its various forms, but likewise in the spirit in which the amusement is followed, and the literary taste evinced in de- scribing and treating it. In Belgium and the Rhenish provinces generally, we have at this hour angling clubs in almost every locality contiguous to where there are eligible fishing-streams, afl conducted upon the same principles, and influenced by the gene- rally prevailing sporting sentiments which regulate similar institu- tions in our own country. Here a free and gentlemanly intercourse takes place among the brethren of the angle; fishing exploits and adventures are rehearsed over for the common amusement of the members ; and we have had, of late years, some specimens of the poetic efforts made to grace the meetings of this order with something of the sentimental and humorous vein. In every depart- ment of France there has likewise been, since the close of the last general war, a great increase in the number of rod-fishers. The English modes of angling, especially for trout, have obtained con- siderable attention, and in some of the finest river-fishing districts are now commonly in vogue among all amateur or professed pisca- torians. t Many books on the > art nave also issued from the Paris and provincial presses^ containing much useful information, and written in a truly genial and literary spirit; and, on the whole, there has been a very great change in reference to the extension or this out-door species of amusement amon^ all classes of the people. In Italy, Switzerland, and even in Spain, there has been a consi- derable augmentation of piscatorians within the last century. Some of the rivers in these countries are most munificently supplied with fine, rich trout ; and, in their higher localities, the scenery upon * Wilkins, Cone. p. 123. ANGLING. some of tlieir banks presents some of the most bewitching views to the eye of one who has any artistic idea of landscape sketches. In the northern countries of Europe, angling, chiefly by English sportsmen, has been successfully practised to ^a great extent. In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and even in Russia, the British mode of angling is now well known, and even followed with enthusiasm, by many of the nobles of those respective countries. But the most cheering view for the angling enthusiast in England, who revels in the delightful anticipation of seeing his favourite sport becoming universal, is the rapid progress which the amuse- ment has made in the United States of America. Here we see the accounts daily, from the provincial prints in every section of the Union, that angling clubs, p and gatherings, and parties, are now becoming quite fashionable in every direction where there are fish- able streams and rivulets. Almost the entire district, from the New England States to the foot of the Rocky Mountains west, and even to the very shores of the Pacific Ocean in the Columbian dis- trict, has been visited, within the space of a few years, by professed anglers. And it is no uncommon thing to undertake a fishing tour of a month or two, and devoting the chief portion of the time to the search of new and unfrequented localities for the prosecution of future piscatory pastimes. We read in a recent number of a Cincinnati newspaper, that Mr. Such-and-such-a-one had just arrived at his own place of abode, all well, after a two months' fishing ex- cursion ; and that there would be a meeting of the friends of the art, who lived in the town, to congratulate him on his return. The angling literature of the States is increasing daily, and assuming that scientific form and polished taste which show that the mass of the people look upon the art as a truly improvable and intellectual one. We find, in the American fishing-books, a number of spirited angling songs, worthy of taking their place among the very best specimens of lyrical composition either in the English or any other language; and, with respect to prose compositions on angling topics, few English writers have come up to the ^ spirit and life which the Americans embody. Witness the following ^description of an angling tour, written by the late Hon. Daniel Webster, one of the most able legislators and men of genius of whom the United States can boast : " We were lost standing," says he, " at the upper part of Sage's ravine, with some forty trout in our basket, when the time was up, the mail must go, the article must be cut short, and all ^ the best parts of it, that for which all the rest was but a preparation, must be left unwritten. The same visitor never comes twice to the eye of the pen. If you scare it away, you might as well fish for a trout after he has seen you, and darted under a stone, or beneath his overhanging bank or root. But trouting in a mountain brook is an experience of life so distinct from every other, that every man should enjoy at least one in his day. That being denied to INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 5 most, the next best I can do for you, reader, is to describe it. So then come on. " We have a rod made for the purpose, six feet long, only two joints, and a reel. We will walk up the mountain road, listening as we go to the roar of the brook on the left. In about a mile the road crosses it, and begins to lift itself up along the mountain side, leaving the > stream ^at every step lower down on our right. You no more see its flashing through the leaves ; but its softened rush is audible at any moment you may choose to pause and listen. " We win put into it just below a smart foamy fall. We have on cow-hide shoes, and other rig suitable. Selecting an entrance, we' step in, and the swift stream attacks our legs with immense earnestness, threatening at first to take us off from them. A few minutes will settle all that, and make us quite at home. The bottom of the brook is not gravel or sand, but rocks of every shape, every position, of all sizes, bare or covered- the stream goes over them at the rate of ten miles an hour. The descent is great. At a few rods cascades break over ledges, and boil up in miniature pools below. The trees on either side shut out all direct rays of the sun, and for the most part, the bushes line the banks so closely, and cast their arms over so widely, as to create a twilight not a gray twilight, as of light losing its lustre, but a transparent black twilight, which softens nothing, but gives more ruggedness to the rocks, and a sombre aspect even to the shrubs and fairest flowers. It is a great matter to take a trout early in your trial. It gives one more heart. It serves to keep one about his business. Otherwise you are apt to fall off into unpro- fitable reverie; you wake up and find yourself standing in a dream half seeing, half imagining under some covert of over- arching branches, where the stream flows black and broad among rocks, whose moss is green above the water, and dark below it. * * * * B u t we must hasten on. A few more spotted spoils are awaiting us below. We make the brook again. We pierce the hollow of overhanging bushes we strike across the patches of sunlight, which grew more frequent as we got lower down towards the plain ; we take our share of tumbles and slips ; we patiently extricate our entangled line again and again, as it is sucked down under some log, or whirled round some network of broken beechen roots protruding from the shore. Here and there we half forget our errand as we break in upon some cove of moss, when our dainty feet halt upon green velvet, more beautiful a thousand times than ever sprung from looms at Brussels or Kidderminster^ At length we hear the distant clamour of m mills. We have finished the brook. Farewell, wild, wayward simple stream ! In a few moments you will be grown to a huge mill-pond; then at work upon its wheel ; then prim, and proper, with ruffles on each side, you will walk through the meadows, clatter across the road, and mingle with the More-brook flow on toward the Housatonic 6 ANGLING. lost in its depths and breadths. Eor who will know thy drops in the promiscuous flood? Or who, standing on its banks, will dream from what scenes thou hast flowed through what beauty- thyself the most beautiful." Such writing as this shows the refined and healthy tone of the angling literature and taste among our American cousins. With respect to the angling prospects of our own country at the present- day, they are the most encouraging and hopeful. At no previous time of our history has the amusement been pursued with a keener relish than in the present age ; and works on this subject are constantly appearing, which demonstrate the firm hold that it has on the public sentiment and feeling. CHAPTER H. ON TACKLE AND BAIT FOB ANGLING. HOW TO ANGLE? THIS question or proposition embraces two or three very obvious divisions. Eirst, our rod and tackle, then our baits, and then our fish. We shall in this chapter keep to the consideration of the two first items. These constitute the materials of angling the instruments or contrivances by which fish are commonly cap- tured. A considerable variety of articles are required for an angler's complete outfit : that is, to place him in a position to be ready at an hour's notice^ for angling any river or piece of water in any section of the kingdom. But there m are more limited establish- ments which can ansAver all the rational ends or purposes of an angler, whose real sport does not depend upon, nor is regulated by the extent, variety, and cost of his stock of implements. Where economy or necessity demands a more curtailed stock of materials, the energetic and zealous rod-fisher < will prosecute his favourite amusement with ardour ; and invention and contrivance will, for the most part, supply the place of a more formal and ostentatious assortment of fishing-tackle. We shall give a list of a few articles which most anglers consider requisites. Rods for salmon and trout fishing, trolling, worm, and fly-fish- ing, spinning the minnow and the bleak. Hair lines, Indian weed, plaited silk and hair, and patent and other lines for trolling. Reels for running tackle. Hooks for trolling on wire or gimp, for the gorge or the snap. ARTICLES REQUISITE FOR ANGLERS. 7 ^ Minnow, gudgeon, and bleak tackle, and baiting- needles of different sizes. Loose hooks of all kinds. Paternosters for perch-fishing. Cobbler's wax, sewing silk, and a few balls of small twine. Ploats of various sizes, and plenty of spare caps for floats. S]3lit shot and bored^bullets of various sizes. Disgqrger, and clearing ring and drag. Landing net, a gaff, and kettle for live bait. Gentle-box and bags for worms. A fishing-basket, creel, or game pouch. A pair of pliers, a pair of scissors, and a good pocket-knife, both with large and small blades. A parchment book of artificial flies. A parchment book for general tackle. A book for containing the various articles requisite for making artificial flies ; the following list of materials is necessary for this purpose. Cock and hen feathers or hackles of all colours ; as red, ginger, black, dun, olive-grizzle, and stone-colour. Peacock's heii, copper- coloured, green, and brown. Black ostrich's herl. [Fowls' spotted feathers. The feathers of the turkey, the partridge, the grouse, ptarmigan, pheasant, woodcock, snipe, dotterel, landrail, starling, golden plover, common pee-wit, wild mallard, bustard, sea-swallow, wren, jay, blackbird, thrush, blue pigeon, silver-pheasant, parrot, and the tame and wild duck. The fur of the water-rat, and hare's ears. Mohair dyed all colours. Pine Prench sewing silk of all colours. Plos silk of all colours. German wools of all colours. Silk twist and bee's-wax. A pair of pliers, a pair of fine-pointed scissors, a small slide vice, and a few fine-pointed, strong dubbing needles. t Silkworm gut, from the finest to the strongest ; and salmon gut single and twisted. Length of the white and son-el hairs of stallions' tails. And lastly, a variety of fly-hooks. Of course fancy has a great deal to do with all arrangements of this kind. We find no two fishers alike in this instance. Some anglers prefer one kind of hooks, some another; we have the London liooks, the Kirby sneck, and the Limerick bend. A fair assortment of essentials should be the guide. ANGLING. FISHING HODS. A good fishing-rod ^ is one of the essential instruments for the angler, and one to which he commonly pays the greatest attention ; and this is more particularly the case in London, and in other large towns, where articles of this kind can be procured of the best quality and most polished workmanship. But in remote country districts, where there is often the best angling, we may daily meet with the frequenter of the streams, furnished only with a straight hazel rod, or perhaps two rudely spliced together, following his vocation with ardour and success. It is often surprising, and not a little instructive withal, how necessity sharpens the intellect of the angler: and how he shifts on, from the simplest and rudest implements, and really procures a fair day's sport under the most apparently discouraging circumstances. Every person who has visited the rural districts of England and Wales, with the rod in his hand, must have seen many instances of this kind, and felt a sort of inward self reproach, that with all his^ superior outfit, he could not hope to surpass the success of the simple, but indefati- gable rustic craftsman. The qualities which a good and handy rod must possess, will, of course, vary with the nature of the angling. There need be no very great difference between a ^salmon and a trout rod, for fly fishing, except you fish in very wide streams, or on lakes in open boats. In such cases, we would recommend a good double- handed rod, from sixteen to eighteen feet in length, as the best that could be made for salmon fishing, in such kinds of water as we have just noticed. A rod of this size, and for this specific purpose, ought to have a free and equal spring ^in it, from the butt end to the top. This is of vital importance in dealing with large fish, whether hooked and run in rivers or in lakes. A single-handed fly rod ought to be from twelve to fifteen feet in length. It should be as elastic as possible, and constructed of such materials as will unite lightness and elasticity with durability and strength. An experienced fly fisher can never get hold of a rod that is too light and springy, although a rather stiffish weapon is better for a beginner. The most beautifully elastic rods we have ever seen, were those made of ash and lance-wood. All rods with metallic root-pieces must necessarily be of uneven supple- ness, although of late years, the manufacture of tliis description of rod has very materially improved, with reference to this radical defect. There are many expert^ anglers, particularly those who have been constantly resident in the vicinity of narrow and thickly- wooded streams, who can use no other but a single-handed fly-rod. The mode of fishing in such limited, and often very clear waters, is quite different from that which a man has to practise in more spacious and stronger rivers. But a good lengthy rod, where it is Fishing Rod. Hoop and Nef. PISHING LINES. 9 not too heavy for the single hand, gives the angler a greater com- mand over the water, and enables him, not only to throw his flies more lightly, but often to reach distant spots, where fine fish are lying, without either overreaching himself, or having recourse to wading. Accidents to rods should be always calculated upon, whenever we go to the waters. They often arise from the simplest circum- stances or f casualties. The salmon and trout fisher especially, ought always to be provided with two or three spare top-pieces, in case of any mishap from loss or breakage, A trout rod for trolling for with minnow, should be from twelve to fourteen, or even sixteen feet in length, of a good firm build, not by any means so elastic as a fly rod. A rod for worm-fishing ought to be stoutly and firmly constructed, of the same length as a fly-one, and to feel, when placed in the hand, pretty stiff and tidy. Eor what is called "bush-fishing," with the worm, a much shorter rod will answer the purpose ; and the stiffer and stronger it is the better. A pike rod ought to be very strong and stiff, and as straight as an arrow. The length should not be more than about fourteen feet ; though, for our own part, we have often used rods of only ten feet. The rings through which the line travels should be strong and large ; and, in our opinion, the fewer the better. The rod for spinning the minnow is recommended by some experienced anglers to be made of bamboo cane, and to be from eighteen to twenty feet long, with a stiff top. A similar kind of rod, but only about twelve Feet in length, is used in angling with the ledger bait for the barbel. The rod adapted for roach and dace varies according to the nature of the fishing ground. If the angler has to pass over high banks, or lofty reeds, the rod should not be less than twenty feet, and very light ; but if the sport be pursued from a boat, or even on water of easy access, a rod of twelve or fourteen feet will be long enough. Eqr the convenience of travelling, either in England or on ^ the continent, what is termed " a general rod," is the most eligible. It is so contrived, by means of top joints of various degrees of length and elasticity, to answer the several purposes of fly-fishing, trolling, or bottom-fishing. The whole affair may be packed up as to be no more trouble than a single rod, and is often put into the same dimensions of an ordinary walking stick. FISHIXG LINES. Fishing lines are made of various materials, and of various de- grees of strength and length, depending entirely upon the kind of angling for which they are required. Eor salmon and trout-fishing, whatever length or strength we 10 ANGLING. may fix upon, nothing is so good, in onr humble opinion, as a pure horse-hair line. If you have a line for fly-fishing with any portion of silk in it, you can never throw a line of any considerable length with the requisite steadiness and precision. "The reason is obvious. When the line has been a short time in the water, the silk gets soaked, becomes soft and flabby, and consequently falls heavily on the water. On the other hancl, a good hair line inva- riably preserves its firmness and elasticity under all states ana circumstances. If the angler be fishing on lakes, or in large rivers, for salmon, he will require from eighty to one hundred yards of line ; but if on a moderate-sized stream, from forty to fifty will be quite sufficient. We have seen, however, two hundred yards used in boat-fishing on a lake, and this quantity was not too much. Some fly-fishers have their lines tapered at the bottom, in order to connect the gut and flies more immediately with it, and, indeed, this plan is now quite the fashion. But with all due deference to the prevailing mode, we ourselves prefer the old " cast line " of about four or five feet in length, and from four to six or eight hairs in thickness, on which to place the gut and flies. A line thus pre- pared can be thrown much truer to any given point, and possesses also other advantages over a tapered running line. Lines for ^ trolling are made of silk, silk and hair, and various other materials. In the process of trolling, the lightness and elas- ticity of the line are not of so much consequence as in fly-fishing ; but, for our own part, we prefer hair lines before any other, even for this sport of trolling. The line called a paternoster for perch fishing, is made of strong gut or gimp, on which are suspended, at certain distances, three or more hooks ; the whole is connected with the wheel-line by a small swivel. FISH-HOOKS. There are two celebrated localities where the best hooks are manufactured London and Limerick and the majority of hooks assume the name of these respective places. Good hooks are of essential importance to the angler, and we would most earnestly recommend all our countrymen who visit the Continent for the purpose of fishing, to provide themselves amply in England with these necessary articles, of all sorts and sizes. There is some difference of opinion among experienced anglers as to hooks some liking the bended ones, some the straight. Fancy, or custom, has had a good deal to do with the judgments in such conflicting determinations. We wish not to speak dogmati- cally on the subject, but only to crave the liberty of stating that we prefer the straight hook, both for flies and for bait, to the bent ones. In fly-fishing we have always found, or at least fancied we Plummets. Floats. Eel Spear. Fixing the Bait on the Hook. FLOATS LANDING-NETS FLIES. 1] found, that we lost more fish by the crooked than the straight hooks ; and in reference to bait, the bent part of a hook generally, if the bait be worm, breaks through, and seriously damages it, This is the result of our own experience, and we state it for the guidance and consideration of others. FISHING FLOATS. Moats are necessary things in certain kinds of angling, and in some particular kinds of water ; but they^ are, nevertheless, as all our best brethren of the craft will admit, necessary evils. We feel the operation of a prejudice when we see them in use. They bring to our minds, by the power of association, the infantile or outhful periods of our angling history, and when lofty and digni- ed sport has been long enjoyed, it is scarcely possible to bring us back to the idea that such appendages are useful. y fi LANDING-NET AND GAIT. These things are absolutely requisite in some particular rivers and waters, where, owing to the nature of the banks and sides, it is difficult to land large fish. When made in a portable manner, so as to be carried in a fishing-basket, or creel, they prove occa- sional useful adjuncts to an angler's equipment. We think them, however, unnecessary articles in streams which have a broad and channelly bed; and we would never recommend them in such situations, for this plain reason, that the fish are easily enough brought to shore from waters of this description, by any angler of average skill and experience. Besides, there is more art required in capturing a fish with the slight tackle of a fly-line, and landing him, without any extraneous assistance. It should always be borne in mind, that the uncertainty and suspense connected with an angler's amusement, constitute some of the prime elements of his pleasure, and ought never to be materially diminished by mechanical contrivances. ON THE METHOD OF MAKING FLIES. The intelligent reader will bear in mind that all verbal or written instructions on this mechanical process must necessarily be very imperfect. > Ely-making is just one of those delicate > and minute matters which can be learned effectually only by imitation ; just, in fact, as a man can be taught to make a shoe, a basket, a chair, or a table. You will learn more in an hour by the eye, than in a twelvemonth by the understanding. The "best thing, therefore, a young angler can do, who is anxious and ambitious to excel in this 12 ANGLING. department of the craft, is to get some friend who understands ma-king artificial flies to instruct him in the business. Any one may soon acquire the requisite degree of knowledge and a little patient practice will speedily render him an adept. To those who nave witnessed professional fly-makers, nothing so strikingly shows the power gained by having the mind and fingers confined to one set of thoughts and actions* The rapidity of movement, the facility- of handling the small and delicate materials, and the general wind- ing up, and polishing off the entire fly, however small and compli- cated its shades and colours, seem to uninitiated persons as the effect ol magic. But in conformity with the general practice observed in con- structing treatises on fishing, we shall here subjoin n few directions in detail for making artificial flies. We take the account from Captain Richardson and others, because anything like originality is quite out of the question in an operation so purely imitative and mechanical. The surest way to complete^ number of flies is to have every necessary material arranged immediately under your eye; every article separate and distinct so as to be grasped in a moment ; and all the hooks, and gut, or hair, wings, hackles, dubbing, silk, and wax, neatly assorted, and prepared for instant use. the hooks require to be sized for different flies ; the gut demands the most careful examination and adjustment : the hackles must be stripped, and the dubbing well waxed; the silk must be carefully assorted, and of the very finest texture ; and the wings must be tied the length of the hook they are to be fastened to, in order that the fibres of the feathers may be brought into the small compass^f the hook. This previous care and trouble not only save time in the process, but ensure a degree of neatness in the execution that is otherwise almost unattainable. The tyin.g of the wings is thus performed. A piece of well waxed silk is laid in a noose on the forefinger of the left hand; the \vin^s, or feathers, are put in the under part of the noose, and at the distance of the length of the wing required ; the thumb is then applied closely to the feather, and with one end of the noose in the mouth, and the other in the right hand, the noose is drawn quite tight, and the silk is then cut within an inch of the knot, thus leaving a handle by which to hold the wing. If the thumb be not firmly pressed, the feathers will be pulled away, and the article will be useless. First Method. How to make a fly with the wings in the natural position in the first instance. Hold the hook by the bend, with the point downwards, between the forefinger and the thumb of the left hand. With your waxed silk in your right hand, give one or two turns round the bare hook, about midway, lay the end of the gut alon^ the upper side of the hook (if tied on the under side the fly will not swim, but contin- ually revolve), and wrap the silk firmly until you get within a few METHODS OP MAKING PLIES. 13 turns of the top. Then you must take the wings, lay them along the shank with your right hand, and hold them stiffly "in their place to the hook with the left t hand. This done, tie the feathers tightly at the point of contact with two or three turns, cut off the super- fluous ends of the feathers ; and, tying the head of the fly tight, you must carry the silk round the hook, until you come to the knot which fastens the wings. Divide the wings equally, and pass the silk through the division, alternately, two or tliree times, in order to keep the wings separate and distinctly from each other. Now prepare the hackle, by drawing down the fibres, taking care to have two or three less on the but, on that side of the fea- ther which comes next to the hook, in order that it may revolve without twisting away. Tie the but-end of the hackle close to the wings, having its upper or dark side to the head of the fly. The Scotch dressers of flies reverse this, and tie the hackle with its under side to the head, and also strip the fibres entirely from that side which touches the hook. Take the dubbing between the forefinger and the thumb of the right hand, twist it very thinly about your silk, and carry it round the hook as far as you intend the hackle or legs to extend, and hold it firm between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, or fasten it at once. Then, with your pliers, carry the hackle round the hook, close under the wings, down to where you have already brought your silk and dubbing ; continue to finish your body, by carrying over the end of the hackle ; and when you have made the body of sufficient length, fasten off, by bringing the silk twice or thrice loosely round the hook, passing the end through the coils to make all snug and right. Some finish the body of the fly thus : When the hackle is fastened, after it has ma'de the legs of the fly, the bare silk is car- ried up to the legs, and there fastened. /Second Method. This manner of proceeding differs from the first in the fixing on of the wings. When you have fastened the gut and hook together to the i)oint where the wings are to be tied, apply the wings to the hook with the but of the feather laying up- permost ; then, when the wings are well fastened, pull them back into the natural position alternately ; and, having your silk firmly tied to the roots of the wings (and not over the roots), the fly is to be completed as in the first method, having cut off the roots of the feather. Third Method. This includes the Irish mode of tying flies, and is the plan generally adopted in those places where flies are manu- factured extensively for sale. There are two ways of finishing a fly under this head. If the wings are to be reversed or turned back, they are to be tied to the hook first, but not immediately turned back ; the silk is carried to the tail of the fly, when the dubbing is carried round the hopk until the putting on of the hackle ; the hackle is tied by the point, and not by the but. Having finished the body, twist on 14 ANGLING. the hackle close up to the wings, and fasten by one or two loops ; then divide the wings, and pass the silk between them, pulling them back to their proper position, and finishing the head; fasten off by one or two loops. The Irish tie over the roots of the wings, which interferes with their action in the water and renders them lifeless. If the wings are placed at once in their natural position, and the fly is to be finished at the head, the gut must be tied on the hook, beginning near the head, and finishing at. the tail; twist on the body up to the legs, fasten on the hackle by the point, finish the body and the legs, and then apply and fasten^the wings; and, when properly divided, cut off the but-ends, finish the head, and fasten off your silk by t one or two loops. This concludes the method of making the winged fly. TO MAKE THE PALMER OR HACKLE FLY. The making of the Palmer or Hackle-fly, with the cock's or hen's feathers, is pimply as described in the foregoing methods, namely, by twisting on the legs and body, taking care that^ the hackle has fibres as long as, or rather longer than the hook it is to be twisted upon. But in making hackle-flies with the feathers of other birds, such as the snipe, dotterel, &c., the feather is prepared by stripping off the superfluous fibres at the but-end, and then drawing back a sufficient quantity of fibre to make the fly. Take the feather by the root, and put the whole of the fibres into your mouth and wet them, so that they may adhere together, back to back. When the gut is fastened to the hook, then twist it twice or thrice round the hook, and fasten it by one or more loops ; the fibres of the feather will then lie the reverse way. Cut off the superfluous parts of the feather that remain after tying, and twist on the body of the required length ; fasten by two loops ; draw down the fibres of the feather to the bend, and the fly is finished. If the tinsel, or gold, or silver twist be required for the body of the fly, it must be tied on after the hackle, but carried round the body before the hackle makes the legs. If the tinsel be required only at the tail of the fly, it must be tied on immediately after the srut and hook are put together, the hackle next, then the body, &c. &c. And here we think is the proper place to make an observation or two about the fitness or expediency of making tackle at home. Many things have altered their aspects within the last half-cen- tury, and fishing-tackle making and selling is one of these. In former times and the thing is now the case in remote districts t of the country a fisher was almost laid under a fixed necessity to manufacture his own rods, and lines, and flies ; but now the MAKING TACKLE. 15 London trade, in all the materials connected with, the piscatory art, is so wonderfully extended, and has now such a general and easy mode of transacting business in country districts, that it has become a matter of pure prudence and economy whether it is not better to buy than to make one's fishing outfit. It is^ now argued and argued fairly and rationally that the perfection to which the London tackle-making trade has brought everything they manufacture, and the low prices at which they are disposed of, forbid every man whose time is worth anything, from wasting it on making his own implements of fishing. If all the materials he requires were purchased with a view of making, instead of buy- ing, fishing tackle, the maker would find the cost much heavier than it would be worth after it was used up, and made- without taking into consideration that there could not be that skill, neat- ness, delicacy, and soundness, which the tackle-makers of the present day guarantee in every article they ^ send out of their premises. The waste of time is saved by judicious purchases, and one can scarcely hesitate to pronounce that the best home-made rod that was ever made was vastly inferior to those manufactured by first-rate workmen in the craft, wno have^ made the profession their study, and worked at it all their ^ lives. Such persons become possessed of such a keen professional eye, that no im- provement can escape them. There are many establishments in London, and even in provincial towns of any considerable magni- tude, where every description of fly, every kind of line, and all the various patterns and sizes of hooks, floats, rods, &c., can be found, and at a price, too, which none but those who manufacture extensively for wholesale purposes can produce them at; and where every contrivance for taking fish and securing them may be purchased as good as the best materials and workmanship can procure. " Where, then," it is asked, " are the inducements for making our own ?" None but the distance a man may be from a tackle-warehouse when he wants it; and considering that most things may be transmitted in a single post, there can be very little inducement under any circumstances. Our advice is, that persons at a distance from London or country tackle-shops, should lay in a plentiful stock of those articles which take but little room, and cost but little money. Gut and hair hooks, flies of all kinds, floats, two, three, or four yards lengths of gut, which are always kept in readiness regularly tapered, the heaviest being at the upper end, and each link gradually diminishing, some very strong and others light, a clearing ring, and other smaller matters of this kind.^ The lovers of angling may take our word that, however wise it may be to repair accidents, and re-whip a hook occasionally, it is better to be provided with every thing ready for use. Every leisure day at home these things should be examined, and what- ever runs short should be ordered at once. It is bad policy, or no policy, to be short of any thing, and particularly of what cannot be procured without delay. 16 ANGLING. So much for the cause of the fishing-tackle shops. We are anxious that the fullest knowledge on the subject should be generally known among anglers- and this is our chief reason for submitting these statements without note or comment. BAITS. Baits are the next important things to speak about, next to tackle. They are of different kinds, and are, on the whole, very numerous. They demand the particular attention of the angler. We shall, at present, and under this head, merely give an enume- ration of baits, leaving the specific application of them individually to that part of our work which treats of the different kinds of fish, and how to take them. ARTIFICIAL FLIES. These are very numerous ; and the varied materials of which they are composed may be best obtained from a plain and simple catalogue of them. We therefore submit the following to the reader's attention. 1. THE CHANTREY. This fly was a great favourite with the late Sir Francis Chantrey, and is an excellent killer. Imitation. Body, copper-coloured peacock's heil, ribbed with gold twist ; legs, a black hackle ; wings, partridge's or brown hen's feather, or pheasant's tail. Hook, No. 9, or No. 10. 2. HOFLAND'S FANCY may be used after sunset with success in any part of the kingdom, and in any season. Imitation. B9dy, reddish brown silk; legs, red hackle; wings, woodcock's tail;' tail, two or three strands ^of a red hackle. Hook, No. 10. 3. MARCH BROWN, also called the Dun Drake, appears about the latter end of March, and continues in _ season till the begin- ning of May ; it will be found a very killing fly, in many lakes in Wales, from March to September. Imitation. Body, fur of the hare's ear, ribbed with olive silk legs, partridge hackle ; wings, tail feather of the partridge ; tail, two or three strands of the partridge feather. Hook^ No. 8, or No. 9. 4. BLUE DUN. Appears in March, and generally upon the the starling's wing ; tail, two strands of a grizzle cock's hackle. Hook, No. 10: 5. FOR CARSHALTON AND THE TEST. I am not acquainted with a proper name for this fly, but it is much used at Carshalton, and on the Test in Hampshire, and is a well-dressed fly, likely to kill in other streams. Imitation. Body, black silk, ribbed with silver twist; legs, a dark grizzle iiackle; wings, the dark ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 17 featlier oi' the starling's wing, made spare and short. Hook, No. 10. 6. CARSHALTON COCK-TAIL. A dun fly, and will be found ? good killer in other streams as well as the Wandle. Imitation. Body, light blue fir ; legs, dark dun hackle ; wings, the inside feather of a teal's wings ; tail, two fibres of a white cock's hackle. Hook, No. 9, or No. 10. 7. THE PALE YELLOW DUN. Excellent from April to the end of the season. Imitation. Body, yellow mohair, or marten's pale yellow fur, tied with yellow silk; wings, the lightest part of a feather from a young^ starling's wing. Hook, No. 12. 8. THE ORANGE I)UN. Another fly in request on the Test and other southern streams. Imitation. Body, red squirrel's fur, ribbed with gold thread; legs, red hackle; wings, from the starling's wing; tail, two fibres of red cock's hackle. Hook, No. 9. 9. THE COACHMAN. Imitation. Body, copper-coloured pea- cock's herl ; legs, red hackle ; wings, from the landrail. Hook, No. 8. 10. COW-DUNG PLY is in season throughout the year, and is used chiefly in dark ; windy weather. Imitation. Body, dull lemon-coloured mohair ; legs, red hackle wings, from feathers of the landrail, or starling's wing. Hook, No. 8, or No. 9. 11. THE HARE'S-EAR I)UN. A killing fly, and in great favour in Hampshire. Imitation. Body, the fur of the hare's ear; wings, the feather from a _ starling's wing ; tail, two fibres of the brown feather from a starling's wing. Hook, No. 10. 12. EDMONDSON'S WELSH FLY. Constantly used in Wales by the skilful fly-fisher and tackle-maker whose name it bears, Mr. Edrnondson of Liverpool. A killing fly in most of the large lakes and rivers of Wales, and would answer for many of the lakes of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Imitation" Body, dull orange mohair; legs, the black feather of a partridge; wings, the feather from a woodcock's wing, or the tail of a hen grouse. Hook, No. 8. 13. THE KINGDOM on KINDON. Much in use in the Hampshire streams, and is a good general fly also. Imitation. Body, pale yellow silk, ribbed with crimson silk ; legs, black hackle ; wings, the feather of a woodcock's wing. ^ Hook, No. 9. 14. BROWN SHINAR is a favourite with the Welsh anglers, also excellent for the rivers < and lakes of Cumberland. Imitation. Body, peacock's herl, twisted spare, with a grouse-hackle over it. 15. GRAVEL, OR ^ SPIDER-FLY, appears towards the latter end of April ; where it is met with, it may be fished with all day, and the trout take it freely. Imitation. Water-rat's fur ; legs, black hackle ; wings, the feather from a partridge. Hook, No. 10, or No. 11. It may also be made with a dark dun hackle, which I prefer instead of the partridge feather. 16. THE IRON BLUE is in season from April till July, and c 18 ANGLING. may be again used in September and October. Imitation. Body, the fur of the water-rat ; legs, a light dun hackle ; wings, the tail feather of a torn-tit, or of an American robin. Hook, No. 12, or No. 13. 17. THE GREAT BED SPINNER may be used as an evening fly during the whole summer season. Imitation. Body, hog's wool, red and brown, mixed, ribbed with gold twist ; legs, bright red cock's hackle; wings, the light feather of the starling's wing; tail, three strands ot a red cock's hackle. Hook, No. 7. 18. BLACK GNAT. A capital fly for dace as well as trout, and may be used from April to the end of the season. Imitation. Body, black hackle, or ostrich herl, tied with black silk ; wings, the feather from a starling's wing. Hook, No. 13. 19. WREN-TAIL is an excellent killer in small, bright streams, and is in great favour in the northern counties. Imitation. Body, dark orange silk, with wings and legs of a wren's tail. Hook, No. 12. 20. THE BRACKEN-CLOTH is a kind of beetle. If made upon a large hook it will be found an excellent fly for the lakes in Scotland. Imitation. Body, peacock's herl, dressed full, and tied with proper silk; wings, feather of a pheasant's breast. Hook, No. 9, or No. 10 ; for lake fishing, No. 6, or No. 7. 21. RED ANT. This is the small red ant, and there is another of the same size, called the black ant, and two others, named the large black and red ants. Imitations. Body, peacock's herl, made full at the tail, and spare towards the head ; legs, red, cr ginger-cock's hackle; wings, from the light feather of the star- ling's wing. Hook, No. 9, or No. 10. 22. THE SAND-FLY. Equally good for trout or greyling, from April to the end of September. Imitation. The fur from a hare's neck, twisted round silk of the same colour; legs, a ginger- hen's hackle ; wings, the feather from the landrail's wing. Hook, No. 9. 23. THE STONE-PLY is one of the larger kind of flies, and appears in April ; it is used in windy weather, and is a good fly in May or June, early in the morning or late in the evening. Imitation. Body, fur of hare's ear, mixed with brown and yellow mohair, and ribbed with yellow silk; the yellow colour towards the tail; legs, brow^iish-red hackle; wings, the dark feather of the mallard's wing ; tail, two or three fibres of the mottled feather of a partridge. Hook, No. 6. ^ 24. ALDER-FLY. Makes its appearance early in May, and may be used through June; it is an excellent flv during the drake season, and will tempt the trout, even where the may-fly is strong on the water. Imitation. Body, peacock's herl, tied with dark- hrown silk; legs, coch-a-bonddu hackle; wings, the brown- speckled feather of a mallard's back. Hook, No. 8._ If this fly be dressed on a No. 6 9r 7 hook, and winged with the red rump-feather of a pheasant, it will be found an excellent lake fly. ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 1<5 25. GREEN DRAKE. Appears late in May or early in June This short-lived insect is not to be found on every stream : I havt never seen it on the Wandle. Imitation. Body, yellow flos silk, ribbed with brown silk ; the extreme head and tail, coppery pea- cock's herl ; legs, a red or _ ginger hackle ; wings, the mottled wing of a mallard, stained olive ; tail or whisk, three hairs from a rabbit's whiskers. Hook, No. 6. ^28. GREY DRAKE. Imitation. Body, white flos silk,' ribbed with dark brown or mulberry-coloured silk ; head and top of the tail, a peacock's herl ; legs, a grizzle cock's hackle wings, from a mallard's mottled feather, made to stand upright; tail, three whiskers of a rabbit. 27. THE BLACK PALMER is a standard fly, and its merits are too well _ known to need description. _ It is a valuable drop-fly in dark, rainy, or ^ windy weather, and in full water. Imitation. Ostrich's herl, ribbed with silver twist, and a black cock's hackle over all. 28. THE SOLDIER PALMER. This fly (and its varieties) may be considered the most general fly on the list, and many anglers never fit up a fly-link without having a red hackle, of some kind, for a drop-fly. Imitation. Body, red mohair, or squirrel's fur, ribbed with gold twist, and red cock's hackle over all. 29. THE GOVERNOR is used on the Hampsliire rivers. Imi- tation Body, coppery-coloured peacock's herl, ribbed with gold twist, tipped with scarlet twist ; legs, red or ginger hackle ; wings, the light part of a pheasant's wing. Hook, No. 9. 30. FOR LOCH AWE. Imitation. Body, orange mohair ; legs, f'nger hackle; wings', from the feather of the pheasant's tail, ook, No. 8. 31. SECOND FLY FOR LOCH AWE. Imitation. Body, copper- coloured peacock's herl; legs, black hackle; wings, the feather from a water-hen's wing. Hook, No. 7. 32. FOR THE RIVER DEE. This, and the following will be found to be killing flies in the River Dee. Imitation. Body, dull yellow mohair ; wings, hackle from the neck of a pale dun hen. Hook, No. 9. 33. ANOTHER FLY FOR THE RIVER DEE. Imitation. Body, peacock's herl: legs and wings, a dark dun hen's hackle, dressed rather full. Hook, No. 9. 34. A FLY FOR LLYN OGWYN. This fly, and those recom- mended for Loch Awe, will ensure sport on this most sporting lake. Imitation. Body, peacock's herl; legs, black hackle; wings, the dark copper-coloured feather of the mallard. Hook, No. 8. 35. CocH-A-BoNDDU is a well-known favourite throughout the United Kingdom, though not always under the same name. Imita- tion.. Body, peacock's herl ; legs and wings, red and black, or coch- a-bonddu hackle. Hook, No. 8 or 9; and in the north of England, for clear streams, it is sometimes dressed on a No. 12 hook. 20 ANGL1BG. 36. THE YELLOW SALLY continues in season from May to July,, in warm weather. Imitation. Body, pale yellow fur, or mohair, ribbed with fawn-coloured silk; legs, a ginger hackle; wings, a white hackle, dyed yellow. Hook, ]No. 9. COMMON BAITS AND GROUND BAITS. It is well known that fish take such baits as the season affords., as worms, insects, &c. ; and worms may_ be used all day in spring and autumn, but in summer only early in the morning and late in the evening. < Lob-worms. These are the largest worms that are found in digging up a garden. They are often full six inches long, and are good bait for large greyling, trout, perch, bream, and eels. The brandling-worm is a striked one, which smells strongly, and is found in rotten dung, and is a very seductive and killing bait for most fish. Red-worms are found in rotten dung also, but are smooth, of a bright pink colour, and are a first-rate bait for roach, dace, perch, carp, tench, bream, trout of moderate size, barbel and most other fish, which will frequently take it when they cannot be tempted with any other. The marsh, or meadow-worm, is also occasionally a good bait for trout, greyling, perch, bream, and gudgeons. When you have procured fresh worms, put them in. a box or jar of damp moss; they will clean themselves in a few hours and improve for several days, becoming brighter and tougher. To keep worms for any length of time, they should be placed in a box' with a few inches thickness of rich soil, such as dung rotted to mould, and then scour them, a few at a time, as wanted. Mr. Elaine, however, gives the following, though not in so few words : " To preserve worms for use, shred some mutton suet and chop it into small pieces ; let it boil slowly in water until the suet is dis- solved, and then, having ready some clean well-beaten hempen sacking or wrapper, dip it into the liquor. When well soaked in it, and having become cold, mix some fresh mould with the worms and put the whole into a tub, and over the top tie a linen cloth that will admit air, and yet prevent them escaping. Place them in a pool situation, and the worms will feed and cleanse themselves, and keep lively and fit for use for many months." Gentles are a favourite bait, especially for roach, dace, and barbel. In fact, at times any fish will take it. Gentles may be bred by hanging up a piece of liver till it putrifies. They should be kept in sand. The largest should be chosen. The beetles found in a cow-dung, and wasp-grubs, also constitute good bait. The caddis, which is found at the shallow sides of rivers, stonj BAITS. 21 brooks, and ditches, is a good bait for every fish in the "water the caddis is found in. Flag-worms^ which are found amongst flags, in pits, or ponds, are good for the fish. Caterpillars, callage-worms, &c., are good for trout, chub, roack and dace, dropped on the surface of the water. Salmon-spawn is a superior bait for trout, chub, roach, &c., and . may be bought ready preserved. Carpenter says, " Having obtained a pound of it, about Septem- ber or October, put it into hot water, and having boiled it for about ten minutes, wash and clean it ; rinse it well with cold water, and dry it. When dried, take two ounces of salt and a quarter of an ounce of pounded saltpetre, and mix it up with the spawn, after which it should be spread out on a dish or board before the fire, until it becomes quite stiff. Then put it into jars or gallipots, pouring over the top of each melted mutton suet, and covering with a bladder." Paste is a good bait in still, quiet waters, with a small hook and a light float. See that it is clean, or the fish will not take it. A good paste for carp, roach, tench, and chub, is made of crumb of white bread. A good paste, especially for chub, is made of rotten Cheshire cheese and crumb of bread. Greaves paste that is, a paste made of white bread dipped into the liquor in which greaves have been boiled is a killing bait for barbel, but wheat paste is a favourite bait in some parts of the country, as is also pearl-barley. The wheat should be freed from the husks by keeping ten or twelve hours in water, and then par- boiled, which will swell it to twice its natural size. Malt and - pearl-barley may be prepared in the same way. They may be crushed and used like a paste, or a single grain be taken and put on the hook, after the manner of baiting with a gentle. Ground-baiting should be done the night before, when it is practicable. Greaves boiled, and worked up into balls with clay and bran, is a good ground-bait for barbel. White bread soaked in water, and mixed up with bran and pollard, is a ground-bait for carp, roach, dace, and chub. Clay and bran mixed together, and made into small balls, may be used for roach, dace, and bleak. Carrion gentles, or worms cut into pieces, are sometimes used with great success in still waters. For roach, dace, bream, and every other fish in still water, bread chewed till it sinks is the very best ground-bait ; or, if it be too much ^ trouble, knead^ some very moist, that it may partly separate as it sinks. Use this in small quantities upon the very spot you fish. For roach-fishing in rivers, bread and bran kneaded together till they are sticky or clammy, and put a coating of a quarter of an inch thick round good-sized pebbles* 22 ANGLING. BAITING THE GROUND. Those who live near a river, and especially those whose premises adjoin it. should select an even bottom and a place moderately deep, and regularly feed the fish. Make everything convenient for the sport ; put up a hurdle, if there be no bushes, and tuck ever- green branches between the bars: make it fast in the ground, rather leaning over the water. If there be an eddy, or scarcely any stream, you may hang up a liver or a dead cat on a sloping stick for want of a tree, so that the maggots may drop from it in such a spot that they will get to the bottom about where you fish ; or it is better to provide carrion gentles and worms, and bait the place exactly day after day. If there be a stream, make balls^ of clay, maggots, and worms, bread, greaves, snails, and any living things you can get, only use enough, clay to sink them in other words, make the ground-bait rich : when you are going to fish, put the same quantity of bait, but make it poor, and you are as sure of sport as you wet your line Whoever fishes a pond or river often should prepare a place ; and the object of the hurdle is to place a complete screen between you. and the fish, and it will be the fault of the angler if he is seen at all. Land your fish beyond the hurdle, on the side Avhich is most handy. When you are on your own ground, if there be no holes or deep places, make one at anv cost ; and this is especially necessary in some ponds which are shallow at the edge. When there are many weeds, have them cleared, if possible, altogether. If no other way presents itself, use your drag, but it should be done days before you fish. Make but a hole, or small deep, form a good screen, regularly feed the fish, and with 0od clean baits and appropriate tackle you will take some of the best in the water. Before closing this account of tackle and baits, we beg to remark that attention to these respective objects is of great importance to the angler, and a very necessary ingredient of his success in the pursuit of all kinds of fish. We like to see care bestowed on this part of piscatory duty. W"e never see a tidy and neat rod fisher, uut the simple and expressive lines of old Doctor Cotton rush into our mind ; written more than two hundred years ago, yet full of freshness and meaning at the present hour. We shall transcribe them for the reader's pleasure and instruction. " Away to the brook, All your tackle out-look, Here's a day that is worth a day's wisliing. See that all things be right, Por 'twould be a spite To want tools when a man goes a fishing. AN ANGLER'S EQUIPMENT. 23 " Your rod with tops two, Eor the same will not do, If your manner of angling you vary; And full well may you think, If you troll with a pink, One too weak will be apt to miscarry. " Then, basket, neat made By a master in j s trade, In a belt at your shoulders must dangle ; For none e're was so vain To wear this in disdain, Who a true brother was of the angle.