/■ "m :^^ HARVARD UNIVERSITY. LIBRARY OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY ^ O GIFT OF \/i\y C . ^4.1lu T) x. letting the bait run downwards, as far as the rod and hue will permit, the lead dragging and rollnii; on the ground. No more of the line must be in the water than will })ermit the lead to touch the bot- tom; for you are to keep the line as straight as possible, yet so as not to raise the lead IVom il.ie bottom. \\ lien you have a bite, you may per- ceive it by your hand and the point of your rod and line ;. then strike gently and upwards, if you cannot tell w hich way the fisli's head lies ; but if you can, the contrary way from where it does ; iir^t allowing ihe Hsh^ by a little slackening the line, a small time to pouch the bait 1 hat is called ani^iiiiii: bv hand, and is very killing for irout, grayling, i?cc. Your rods, lines and liooks camiot be too fine, when vou fish for roiu.'lrand dace; 1 thiid; the ♦' . . . Londoners excel in. this part of angling. c 3 13 best's art of angling I shall treat oi float fishing under the descrip- tion of each fish. As for your fishing hooks^ they ought to be made of the best tempered steel wire, longish in the shank, and somewhat thick in the circum- ference, the point even, and straight ; let tlie bend- ing be in the shank. For setting the hook, or more scientifically speaking, arming itj use strong but small silk, lightly waxed with shoe- maker's wax ; and lay the hair on the inside of the hook, for if it be on the outside, the silk will fret and cut it asunder. There are several sizes of hooks, large ones and small ones, made according to the fishes they are designed to take, which, when [ come to treat of the different fish, the number of the hook proper for each will be fully expressed. Ford and ICirby's hooks are excellent ones,, but the best 1 ever had were from Red-bridge in Hampshire.^ Floats, for angling are of divers kinds: some made of Muscovy duck c\\i\\h, which are the best for slow waters, but for strong streams, sound cork, without flaws or holes, bored through with an hot iron, into w^iich is put a quill of lit pro- portion, is preferable ; pare the cork to ap^^ra- midical form, grind it smooth with a pumice stone, then colour it according to your fancy. Floats, whether quill or cork, must be poised with shot, when on the line, as to make them cock; that is to stand perpendicular in the wa- ter, that the least nibble or bite may be appa- rent. When a float is split or bruised, there is no remedy for the mischance, but getting a new on-e, but( you may save the plug, and it will serve * To maHe boclts, vide the arcana at the end of tiie first part. MAKING FLOATS, &C. 19 for another. But it' the water gets in at the top of your float, a little sealing-wax will prevent it : if the plug of your float is loose, pifl! it out, and fasten it with one of the following cements. Take bee^s zvax hruised small, chalk scraped fine, and black rosin powdered, of each an equal quantity ; melt thern in a spoon, or small tin ves- sel, and see that they are well mixed; or, take brick-dust sifted ver}'^ fine^ and common rosin, pulverised ; put one part of the brick-dust to two parts of rosin, and melt them as before directed ; dip your your plug in either of these, and put your float immediately upon it. When you join two floats, together let the plug be a little thicker in the middle than at the ends, which ends are to go into the quills; dip one end into the cement, and put one quill upon it, then do the like by the other, and you have a double float : or you make it by dipping the ends of both quills, when prepared, in the cement, and fixing them toge- ther, which, when the cement is cold, will be very strong. To (\ye quills red, which for still waters are better than any other floats, take what quantity you please of urine, and put it in as much powder of Brazil-wood as will make it redden a piece of white paper; then take some clean water, into which put an handful of salt, and a little arg(J, and stir them till dissolved ; then boil them well in a sauce-pan. When the water is cold, scrape your quills, and steep them in it for ten or twelve days, then dry rub them, and rub them with a woollen cloth. Every angler should have two panniers, — one for pike, barbel and chub — the other for trout, perch, roach, dace, bream and gudgeons; how- ever he should be possessed of oae, about four- teen inches wide. He should alwavs take out ■.r"- . :^ 20 rest's art of angling. with him, liiies coiled up. Spare links. Tu''0- worm bags, one for brandlings, See. and the other tor lob-zvorrns. A plummet to fix the depth of the water, of a pyramidal form. A gentle box. Floats and spare caps. Split shot. iShoe- makers wax in a piece of leather. Silk. Hooks, some whipped on and some loose. A clearing rinz, which is of use to discnaa^e the hook when entangled. Jl landing net, to land large fish with. The disgorger, wiiich wlien a fish has gorged the hook, by putting it down his throat, till you touch the hook, at the same time pulling the line, it will easily come away. CHAP. in. The general Baits used in Jjigling, tchere found, and how preserved. THE reader being furnished with the best rules, relative to his rods, lines, hooks, &c, I shall give him a list of the baits in general of use in angling; bat must desire him to observe, that fish take all sorts of baits, most eagerly and freely, when he presents them to them in such order and manner, as nature afibrds them, or as they themselves generally gather them. V THE LOB'TFORM, DETF-WORM, GARDEN-WORM, TJf'ATCIIEL, OR TREACJJET, Found in a garden or church-yard, late in a summer's evening, with a lanthorn; when the BAITS USED IN ANGLING. 21 summer proves a very dry one, they uuiy be forced out oF their holes with the liquor pro- duced by bruising walnut-tree leaves in water : the best of these are those who have a redhead^ a streak down the back, and a broad tail, from which they derive the name, of srjitirre/ tails. This is a principal worm for Salmoiij Chub, Trout, Barbel, and Ee/s. BRANDLINGS, GILT-TAILS, AND RED-JFOPMS, Found in old dunghills, rotten earth, cows dung, hogs dung; but the best are those to be met with in Tanners bark after it is thrown by. These, especially the two first, are for Trouts, Grayling, Sahnon-fsmelts, Gudgeon, Perch., Tench, and Bream; the three last take the red-zvorm, well-scoured, exceedingly well. MARSH, OR MEADOTF-WORMS, Found in marshy ground, or ihe fertile banks of rivers; arealittle blueish, require more scouring Than#the brandling or gilt-tail, and are taken from Candlemas until Michaelmas. This is a choice worm in March, Jprily and September, for Trouts, Sahnon-smef/s, Gudgeon, Grayling, Flounder, llreain, and Terch. TAG-TAIL, Found in marled lands, or meadows after a shower of rain, or early in the mornhig in March or April, if the weather is mild and teniperate; and is a most excellent bale. 22 best's akt of angling. — — . fc — ^ M , ■■■■■ II Ml ■■! tmm I I - II. , , I I,. I I This is an excellent bnit for a Trout, if you angle with it whilst the water is discoloured by rain. I/OJF TO SCOUR ASD PRESERVE WORMS, Get a quantity of moss, the best is that which is soft and white, and grows on heaths, but as this is scarce to be had in soine parts, in lieu of it any kind that is fresh and sweet; rinse it well from the earth that hangs about, and then wring it, (not too dry); put it into an earthen pot and squeeze it down hard; then strew the worms up^vn it, and those that are not bruised, will soon creep into the moss; those that lay at the top you must pick off; cover it close that they do not crawl avvay, and set it in a cool place in summer and in winter in a warm one, which will prevent the frost from killing them: change the moss every fourth day in summer, and once a week in winter, or at least let the old moss be taken from thejn, washed, squeezed pretty dry, and put it to them again, if 3'ou want them to be quickly scoured, a lirtie bole armoniac put to them will accomplish your desire: or you may put; them in wafer for three or four hours, and they will soon be scoured, yet be very weak, but being put to good moss, they will speedily recover. When the knot near the middle of the brandling begins to swell, he is sick, and should be thrown awa}": never keep your worms in moss to scour them above ten davs, in which time they will be perfectly fit for use. There is another way of cleansing and pre- serving wormSf recommended b}'^ numy anglers, and is a very good one for every kind of them except the lob-worm: take a piece of very coarse TO SCOUR AND PRESERVE WORMS. 23 - — - - - — — — — — — ■ cloth, whicli lias never been shrunk in the Full- 7Ng-miliy wash it very clean, and let it dry : then soak it in the liquor where a tat piece of fresh beef has been boiled, and wring it out, but not so hard as to press out all the liquor; they lay it in a deep earthen pan, that has a large bottom, and put your worms thereon, that they may crawl in and out and so scour themselves: when they have remained there twenty-four hours, wash out your cloth as before, but do not dry it; then wet it again with some ofjhe same liquor, and having placed your worms thereon, keep them in a close cellar; repeat this every other day during the heat of the summer, and you will not onlv preserve vour worms alive for three weeks or a month, but make them very red, clear, and tough. When you take them out for angling put them into moss that has been well washed and not wrun": drv ; and when vou come liome at night put them again mto the pan, by which they will recoverand gather fresh strength ; take care that there is no salt in the beef liquor, for if there is your worms will purge themselves to death. Mr. GV/j/, in his Rural Sports, is particularly partial to the Giit-tail; as is apparent by the ibilowing lines You must not every worm promisnioiis use, Judgment will tell, the pro])er baits to thuse; The worm that draws a long immod'rate size The trout abhors and the rank morsel Uies ; And if too small, the naked Iraiid's in sight. Ana fear fordids while hunger docs invite. Those baits will best reward the fisher's pains, Whose polish'd tails a shining yellow stains : Cleanse them from filth, to f^lve a tempting gloss, ChfrTish the sullyVl re})tile with moss; Amid the verdant bed they twine, they toil. And from their bodies wipe their naiive soil. 24 best's art of angling. PALMER-FLY, PALMER-WORM, JTOOL-BED, OR CAN&ERS, Found on herbs, plants and trees, where they are bred, if not a jjerfect caterpillar, yet un- doubtedly a species thereof; they gain the name of wool-beds from their outward parts being woolly ; these and the May-fly are the founda- tion of //?/ angling. These are good baits either for Trout, Chub, Grayling, Roachy or Dace. BOBS, Found in sandy and mellow ground, and got by following the plough in autumn, are worms as big as two maggots, have red heads, and their bodies full of soft guts: put them in a tub with some of the mould that you gather them in, keep them in a warm place, and they are an ex- cellent bait from the first of November till the middle of April: you may boil them the morn- ing you intend angling, in milk and water for two minutes, which will make them tough; and put them in a box where gum ivy has been rubbed. These are choice baits, from tlie beginning of November until after the middle of j^pri/, for Chub, Roach, Dace, iSalmon'Smetts, Trout, Bream, Tench, and Carp. COJT-TURD BOB, OR CLAP-BAIT, Found under a cow-turd from the beginning of May to Michaelmas; it is bigger than a gentle^ FLAG-WORMS;, OR BOCK-WORMS. 25 but very like one; it is best kept in the same earth you find it in. This is an excellent bait for a Trout, if you angle with it on the top of the water, with a *bristled hook. F LAG-WORM Sy OR DOCK-WORMS, Found among flags, in old pits or ponds, in little husks among the strings or fibres of the roots; are small worms, pale, yellow, or white, as a gentle: these are very good baits. These are excellent baits for Graylings, Tenc/i, Bream, Carp, Roach, and Dace, BARK-WORM, OR ASH-GRUB, Found under the bark of an oak, ash, elder, or beech, especially when felled, and they have lain some time, or in the hollow of these trees when rotten; it is to be used from Michaelmas to May or June. It is very full and white, bent round from the tail to the head; and the parts resembling a young dor or humble-bee. This is an excellent bait for Trout and Gray- lings it is very tender, and curious to be baited with. COD-BAIT, CAD-BAITf CADIS-WORM, OR CASE- WORM, are thua differejitli/ called, and are oj three sorts. 1st. Found under stones that lie loose and hollow, in small brooks, shallow rivers^ or very * The method of doing this, you will find under the dm- cription of the Trout. D 26 best's art of angling. fine gravel, in case or husk, and when fit for use they are yellowish, are bigger than a gen- tle, with a blackish head. Another sort is found in pits, ponds, ditches, in rushes, water- weeds, straw, &c. called ruff-coats, or straw- worms. The next is a green sort, found in pits, ponds, or ditches, in March, coming in before the yellow ones, w^hich are not to be fished with till -April, and in July they go out of season ; the last sort is to be used in the month of August. When you take them to fish with carry them in woollen bags, for the air kills them. These are excellent baits for all kinds of fish, particularly a large Chuh* GENTLES, OR MAGGOTS, TO BREED AND PRESERVE, Take a piece of beasts liver, scotch it with a knife, and hang it up in the shade; when you see it fl\'blown sufficiently, take it down, and put it into a large pipkin or small barrel ; then when you see the gentles have attained their proper size, put some oatmeal and bran to them, and in two days they will be scoured, and fit for use. Thus gentles may be created till after Michaelmas. But if you desire to keep gentles all the year, then get a dead cat, or kite, and let it be fly-blown, and when the gentles begin to be alive and stir, then bury it and them in moist, soft earth, but as free from frost as you can, and these you may dig up at any time when you want to use them: these will last till march and about that time turn into flies.* * If you want them to be scoured quickly put ilry white iiaarj to them. now TO PRESERVE C ATER 1' ! L L A RS. 27 Gentles aie not only the most universal, but also the most alluring bait, and an angler should nev^r go out a fishing without taking some with hiui. Trouts have been taken with them, when they have refused all kinds of worms and artifi- cial flies: to every kind of fish they are an accep- table bait, {Pikes and Salmons excepted) but I do not doubt they would be so to them, were it possible to fix them on a hook, large enough to hold the above mentioned fishes. ijorr TO fi'nd and preserve caterpillahs, OAK-WORMS CABBAGE WORMS, COLWART- WORM OR GRUB, CRAB-TREE- WORM OR JACK, AND GRASSHOPPERS. Found by beating the brandies of an oak, crab- tree, or hawthorn, that grow over a public path or highway ; or upon cabbages, coie- worts, &,c. Grasshoppers are found in short sun-burnt grass, the latter end of June, all July and August. To preserve these baits, cut a round bough of fine green-barked withy, about the thickness of one's aijn, and taking off the bark about a foot in length, turn both ends together, into tlie form of an hoop, and fasten them witli a needle and thread ; then stop up the bottom with a bung cork, into this put your baits, and tie a colewort leaf over it, and wiih a red-hot iron bore the bark full of holes, and lay it in the grass every night; in this manner your cads may be kept till they turn to flies; to your grasshopper put grass. '28 best's art of angling. PASTES, Are variously compounded, according to the angler's fanc}^ but there should alvva3^s be a little cotton, wool, fine Hnt, or flax, to keep the parts together, that wash not off the hooks ; the fol- lowing compositions make very good pastes : The blood of sheeps' hearts mixed with honey and flour, and worked to a proper consis- tence: old cheese grated, a little butter sufiicient to work it, and coloured with saffron. In winter fat rusty bacon instead of butter. Crumbs of bread, worked with honey, and moistened with gum-ivy water. The inside of a French roll, or crambs of bread, worked well with clean hands with water alone. What fishes each of these pastes are proper for, the reader will find under the description of each fish, therefore, I shall only make the following observations concerning pastes, which may be of use to young anglers, because founded on experience ; — Note, tliat in September^ and all the winter months, when you angle for chubs, carps, and breams, with paste, let the bait be as large as a hazle-nut ; but for roach and dace, the bigness of a pea is sufficient : chuse a still place, use a quill float, a small hook, and strike at the first biting of the fish. When you wish to have your pastes of a yel- low colour, use a little Turmerick; when of a flesh, or salmon colour, Vermillion or Red-lead. BAITS SINGULARLY KILLING TO FISH WITH. Sheeps' blood, placed onatrencber till it becomes pretty hard, then cut into small pieces propor- tioned to the size of the hookj put a httle salt SINGULARLY KILLING BAITS. 2.9 to it; and it will prevent its growing black. Wheat, or maltf boiled soft in milk, and the husk taken off, a good bait either in winter or sum- mer. The anl-fiy, found in June, July, August and the beginning of September, in mole-hills or ant-nests, where they breed ; take some of the earth, and the roots of the grass w^hich grow upon it, and put all in a glass bottle, then gather some of the largest and blackest ant flies, and put them into the bottle; these are a deadly bait for roach, dace, and chub; you must angle with them under water a hand's breadth from the bottom. The young brood of wasps, hornets, and humble-bees, are likewise very good. Also minnows, loaches, sharplings, and bull-heads. Snails, black and white,- the black ones bellies slit to shew the white. Likewise cherries, black- berries, cheese kept a day or two in wet rags, which makes it tough, or steeped in a little honey. Also salmon spawn, which must be boiled till it is hard enougli to stick on the hook; and if you wish to preserve it, sprinkle a little salt over it, and get a glazed earthen pot, and put a layer of wool at the bottom of it, and then a little salmon spawn upon that; then wool again, and then spawn, and so proceed alter- nately till the pot is filled : it is a most destruc- tive bait in the winter and spring, especially if angled with where salmon a.e known to spawn ; for there every kind of fish resort in order to devour it. Let all the baits for the Pike be alive on the morning you use them; for stale ones, will not entice him so soon. The best baits aie gudgeons, roach, small dace, and bleak. It is a common notion that the pike will not attack the perch, being fearful of the spiny fins, v. hich the perch i)3 30 best's art of angling. erects on the approach of the former. This may be true in respect to large fish; but I know that smal! ones, are the most tempting bait that can be laid for the pike: the other fishes are the best for trolling. CHAP. IV. Of 'Natural Fly-Fishing, with a Description of Flies generally used ; and a choice Collection of Rules and Hints to he observed in the Art of Angling. N ATUK Alt fi/ fishing, which comes under the heads oi Dibbling, Dapeing, and Dab- bing, is a method with which the largest fish are taken, and requires a deal of nicet}^ and circum- spection. The general rule in this way of ang- ling is to fish with a line about half the length of your rod; but if there is wind stirring, with as much as it will carry out; but you need hardly ever fish with more than the first length, as dibbling must be performed as near as possi- ble to the bank that you stand on ; therefore a long rod and a short line, is the best, which you will command with ease, and be able to shelter yourself from the sight of the fishes, behind bushes, stumps of trees, 8cc. The line you dib with should be ver}'^ strong : for when you have struck a good fish you will have a hard boat with him before you kill him, for want of a greater length of line: therefore, whenever 1 dib \ always use a ringed rod, with a winch forlny OAK-FLY, ASH-FLY, &C. 31 line fixed on it, by which means I can ahvays keep my line to any length, without the trouble of changing it ; and when I have hooked a good fish, can always give him as much scope as I think necessary, and kill him with great ease and certainty; this method I would by all means advise the angler to use, who will be thoroughly convinced olits utihty at the first trial he makes. Let the top of your rod be a stiff one. When you see a fish rise near you, guide your fly over him immediately, and he's your own, if the fly you use is strong on the water. When you dib for chubf roachj and dacCy move your fly very slow when you see them make at it, or let the stream carry it down towards them; if it be in a still deep, shady hole, draw the fly sideways by them, and they will always eagerly pursue it. The roach takes flies the best a little underwater. The best for the angler's use in this method of angling, are as follow^ : OAK-FLY, ASIJ-FLY, OR WOODCOCK-FLY^ Found on the body of an oak, or ash, with his head downwards in general, and near the bot- tom of the tree; it is a brownish fly, and is taken from the beginning of May till the end of August. This fly is reported to breed in those little balls which grow on the boughs of large oaks, commonly called oak apples; they are provided with a hollow instrument, with which they per- forate the tegument of leaves, fruits, or buds, and through the hollow of it, inject their eggs into the wounds which they have made, where, in process of time, they hatch and are nourished: through this discovery, the formation of galls is accounted for. 3Q best's art of angling. STONE-FLY, Found under holiow stones, at the side of rivers; is of a brown colour with yellow streaks on the back and belly; has large wings, and is in sea- son from April to July. GREEN DRAKE, Found among stones by river sides, has a yel- low body, ribbed with green, is long and slender, with wings like a butterfly, his tail turns on his back, and is easily taken from May to Midsum- mer; put the point of the hook into the thickest part of his body, under one of his wings, run it directly through, and out on the other side, then take another and put him on in the same man- ner, but with his head the contrary way; they will live so near a quarter of an hour. The Green, and Grey-drake, are taken both in streams and still waters, at all hours of the day, while in season; the Stone-Jiy chiefly in the morning and evening. GREY DRAKE, Found in general where the Green-drake is, and in shape and dimensions perfectly the same, but almost quite another colour, being of a paler and more livid yellow; and green and ribbed with black quite down his body; with black shining wings, diaphanous and very tender: it comes in, and is taken after the green-drake, and when made artificially, as directed in part the 2d, for the month of May, kills fish very well. The following curious account of it from Bowlker, cannot fail to amuse the reader. GREY J)KAKE. 33 a I happened to walk by the river-side, at that season of the year, when tlie May-flies (he means the grey sort) which are a species of Libella, come out of the water, where they lie in their husks for a considerable time, at the bottom or sides of the river, near the likeness of the 'Nymph of the small common Libella ^ but when it is mature, it splits open its case, and then, with great agility, up springs the new little ani- mal, with a slender body, four blackish veined transparent vvings, with four black spots on the upper wings, and the under wings much smaller than the upper ones, with three long hairs in its tail. The husks which are left behind, float in- numerable on the water. It seemed to me a species of Ephemera ; and I imagined it was the same insect described by Goedart and Sioam- merdam, but a few days convinced me to the contrary ; for I soon found them to be of a Jonger duration than theirs. The first business of this creature, after he is disengaged from the water, is flying about to find out a proper place to fix on, as trees, bushes, 8cc. to wait for ano- ther surprising change, which is effected in a few days. The first hint I received of this wonderful operation, was seeing the Exuviae hanging on a hedge : I then collected a great many, and put them into boxes, and by strictly observing them, 1 could tell when they were rea- dy to put off their husks, though but so lately put on. 1 had the pleasure to shew my friends one that I held in my hand all the while it per- formed this great work. It is surprising to see how easily the back part of the fly split open, and produced the new birth ; which 1 could not perceive partakes of any thing from its parent, but leaves head^ body, wings, legs, and even its 34 best's art of angling. three-haired tail^ behind on the case. After it has reposed itself a while, it flies with great briskness to seek its mate. In the new fly a remarkable difference is seen in their sexes, which I could not so easily perceive in their first state, the male and female being then much of a size; but now the male was much the smallest, and the hairs in his tail much the longest. I was very careful to see if I could find them engen- dering, but all that I could discover, was, that the males separated, and kept mider cover of the trees, remote from the river; hither the fe- males resoried, and mixed with them in their flight, great numbers together, with a very brisk motion of darting or striking at one another when they met, with great vigor, just as house- flies will do in a sunny-room : this rhey conti- nued to do for many hours, and this seemed to be their way of coition ; which must be quick and soon performed, as they are of so short a duration. When the females were impregnated, they left the company of the males, and sought the river, and kept constantly playing up and down on the water. It was very plainly seen, that every time they darted down they ejected a cluster of eggs, which seemed a pale bluish speck, like a small drop of milk, as they descended on the water ; then, by the help of their tail they spring up again, and descend again, and thus continue until they have exhausted their stock of eggs, and spent their strength, being so weak that they can rise no more, but fall a pre}'' to the fish ; but by much the greater number perish on the waters, which are covered with them : this is the end of the females; but the males never resort to the rivers, as I could perceive, but after they have done their office, drop down, languish GREY DRAKE. 35 and die under the trees and buslies. I observed that ilie females were most numeroii"-', whicli was very necessary, considering the many ene- mies ihey have, during the short time of their appearance, for both birds and iish aie very fond of them, and no doubt under the water they are food for small aquatic insects. VV^hat is further remarkable in this surprising creature is, that in a life of a few days it eats nothing, seems to have no apparatus for that purpose, but brings up with it out of the water, sufficient support to enable it to shed its skin, and to perform the principal end of life with great vivacity. The particular time when I observed them very numerous and sportive, was on the 'iOthof May, at six o'clock in the evening. It was a sight very surprising and entertaining, to sec the rivers teaming with innumerable, pretty, nimble, flying insects, and almost every thing near covered with them. When I looked up into the air it was full of them, as high as £ could discern, and being so thick, and always in motion, they made almost such an appearance as when one looks up, and sees the snow coming down : and vet this won derttd appearance, in three or four days after the last of May, totally disappeared.""^ I/AfrTIIORN-FLYj Found on every hawthorn bush when the leaves come forth. It is used for dibbirig, in some ri- vers for trouts. * That there should be a tribe of flies, whcsc"^ duration ex- tends but to a day, seems at first surprising ; but the wonder will increase, when we are tokl that some of this kind seem to be born and die in the space of a single hour. 36 best's art of angling. GREAT MOTHj Found where there is a little breeze in summer evenings, in gardens ; has a great head not un- like an owl, whitish wings, and yellowish body. The chub takes this exceedingly well. BLACK-BEE OR HUMBLE-BEE, Found in clay walls, and is an excellent bait For the chub. Some cut off his legs and upper wings. THE COCKCHAFER OR BROWN BEETLE. This is an excellent bait for dibbling, for large trout or chub ; they may be seen flying about in hot summer evenings, or found in the day time, on the oak, maple, or ozier; they must be kept in tin boxes, with holes in the lids, with some of the leaves of the trees they are found on. BLACK BEETLE, Found under fresh-horse, or cow-dung ; the holes are easily observed, where they creep to deposit their eggs ; keep them in some of the earth that you dig up to find them. N. B. The reader will find the peculiar me- thod of dibbing for chub, under the description of that fish. MULES AND HINTS TO BE OBSERVED IN ANGLING. 1st. Every brother angler should be possessed of a great deal of patience and resignation, and RULES AND HINTS IN ANGL1N«'. 37 . > ■ ■ ■ ■ 1^1 I ■ — - ■— ■ ^ ^^mi^^^i ■■— I I ■»■■■■■ — ^w^— ^ ■ — I I ■ not be cast down with bad luck, or be elated with good ; for the same success cannot always attend him. 2d. Never angle in glaring colours, for they are the easiest to be discerned by the fishes ; al- ways turn out early in the morning, for that is the best time of the day ; keep your tackle always neat, and let your baits be in the highest per- fection. 3d. When you angle shelter yourself as much as possible from the sight of the fishes, for they are timorous and easily frighted ; and when you angle for trout, you need never make above one or two trials for him in the same place, for he %vill in that time either take the bait or let it alone. ''^ 4th. When the nigkts prove dark, cloudy or windy, you will the next day have but little sport in respect to catching large fishes, especially trouts; for in those nights they range about and devour small fishes ; but if the nights are bright and the moon and stars are out, and the days following should be overcast, dark, and gloomy, you may depend on having good sport ; for fishes are then as timorous as in sun-shiny days, and never stir from their holds : tlierefore, hav- ing abstained from food all night, they are hun- gry and eager, and being encouraged by the darkness and gloominess of the day, to range about, they then bite boldly and eagerly. 5th. If you wish to know what ground bait- fishes like best, the first you take open his sto- mach, and there you will find what he fed on last, and bait accordingly. ♦ Tliii* observation holds good for pike? or percii S 38 best's art ov angling. 6th. If betore you go out to anglf, you should imagine, by the looks of the weather that it will prove :-«]io\very, or thuiKJer, always take three or tour night Hnesout with you, and whilst yon angle for other fish, lay them in according to your judgment; baite^l wiih weil-scoured job-worms, and yon may depend on catching 3-arge eels, trout, &c. 7th. The best way to bait your hook, for this kind of fishing, or for zcorm-jhhing in general, either with lob-zcornis, braiidlin^Sj Sec. is thus : if you bait with one worm, put ^^our hook into him somewhat above the middle, and out again a little below the middle, having so done draw your woim above the arming of your hook : but note, you must enter the hook at the tail of the worm, and not at the head ; then having drawn him above tlic arming of your hook before- mentioned, put the point of your hook again into the very head of the worm, till it comes near the place where the point of the hook first came out, and then drav/ back that part of the worm that was above the shank or arming of the hook : if you fish with two worms, then put the second on before you turn back the hook on the first worm. 8th. If when youare angling in any particular spot, and have had good sport, the fishes should suddenly leave off biting, you may conclude that some of the fish of prey are come to the part vou are fishing in ; therefore put a minnow on your hook alive, sticking it through iiis upper iip, or back fin ; let youi tackle be strong in case the pike should be there, but for a cer- tainty you may depend that either he, or the perch will take it. But the best way is to have a trimmer or two with you^ which may be applied RULES AND HINTS IN ANGLING. 39 with great advantage, whilst you angle for othec fish. 9th. When you have struck a good fish, kee[» your rod bent, which willl prevent him from running to the end of the line, whereby he might break his hold. lOtli. In ponds angle near the fords where cattle go to drink ; and in rivers, angle for breams in the deepest and quietest parts: for eels, under trees hanging over b;mks ; for chubs, in deep shaded iiok^s ; i'ov por/ies, in scours; i'oi' loac/ies, in- winter in the detps, at all r)thcr times where you angle for perches] and i'oi' Iruuts in quick streams. 11th. It is good angling in whirlpools, under bridges, and at the falls of mills-, and in any place where the water is deep and clear, and not dis- turbed with wind or weather; also at the open- ing of sluices, and mill-dams, and if you go with the course of the water, you will hardly miss catching fishes, that swim upon the stream to seek what food the water brings dow^n with it. 12th. When you fish for roach, dace, &c. in a stream, cast your ground-bait above your hook, and always remember to plumb your ground. 13th, Never trust to the strength of your rod or line when yon have hooked a good fish, but aivvavs use vour landing?: net. 14th. Your rod nmst neither be kept too dry nor too moist, for the one will make it brittle, the other rotten, and in sultry weather always wet the joints of 3'our rod, which will make them ad- here ; and if by being wet they should stick so that you cannot easily get them asunder, never use force, for then you will strain your rod ; but turn the ferrel of tlie joint that is fast, a few K 2 40 BESTS ART OF ANGLING. times over the flame of a candle and it will se- parate. 15th. The best times for angling are from April to October, and the best time of the day from three till nine in the morning, and three in the evening till sun-set. The south wind is the best to angle in ; the next best point to that is the west ; the cooler these blow in the hottest months, is the best time to fish. l6th. Never angle in an easterly wind, for your labour will be in vain ; but you may if the wind blows from any other point, provided not too sharply. Fishes will never bite before a shower of rain ; this hint may save 3^0 u many a wet skin.* 17th. In the morning, if there happens to be a hoar frost, either in the spring or advancing of the season, fishes will not bite that day, except in the evening : and after they have spawned, very ill, till with grass and weeds they have scour- ed themselves, and by that means recovered their appetite. 18th. The best time for the trout to be taken, and other fishes with the ground-line, is morning and evening, in clear weather and water; but if the day proves cloudy, or the water muddy, you may angle all dav long. 19th. The angler may depend on catching store of fishes, in a dark, close, gloomy, or lov^^-. ering day, if the wind be southerly, and when, as the poet observes, " The stealing show'r is scarce to patter heard " By such as wander thro' the forest walks, '' Beneath th' umbrageous multitude of leaves.^ • Vide tli« Prognostics. FISH IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 41 20th. Lastly, when seated lUidcr a shady tree, on the side of a pleasant river, or moving about on the banks of it, or otherwise pursuing your recreation ; when the gliding of waters, the singing of birds, the bleating of flocks, tiio lowing of cattle, the view ot delightful pros- pects, and the various occupations of rural in- dustry, shall dispose you to thought and reflec- tion ; let the beauties of nature, the pov»'er, wis- dom, and goodness of the J/mightj/, as mani- fested in the production of his creatures ; thei order and course of his providence in their pre- servation, the reward* of a good life, and the certainty of your end, be the subjects of 7/our most seri(*us meditation ! Having ^2;iven tlie reader every necessary in- struction, in regard to the breedinj^ and feed/tig of fishes ; with the best advice concerning his rods, lines, jloatSf hooks, baits, ^c. and a set of very choice rules, liints, and cautions, I.siiall now tell him the best methods of taking the fishes in ge- neral angled fur in England and 14 ales. CHAP. V. J Description of the Fish generally angled for in England and Wales, with the proper Times and Seasons, to fish for them ; their peculiar Haunts, spazc'ning Time, and most killing baits, t^f. SALMO, I^HE Salmon, according to tlie opinion of some, breads in the sea ; but that of others seems better warranted, that h^ breeds in the E 3 42 BESTS ART OF ANGLING. clear, sandj, parts of rivers, not far from the mouths thereof. It is entirely a northern fish, being found both at Greenland and Kamschatka, being never so far south as the Mediterranean. The Salmon-trout migrates like the salmon u\x several of our rivers, spawns and returns to the sea. The flesh, when boiled is red, and tastes like the salmon. The White-trout, appears much of the same nature, migrates out of the sea, into the river Esk in Cumberland, from Jul3r to September. The Samlet is considered by Mr. Pennant as a distinct species, and not as the fry oFthe salmon, as some have supposed : it seldom exceeds six or seven inches in length. They commonly spawn in Octoher, and th e young become samlets the following year, and in a few months a large salmon. The milter and spawner having performed their office, betake themselves to the sea, and we are told that when they have been obstructed in their passage, they have grown so impatient, that clapping their tails to their mouths, with a sudden spring, they have leaped clear over weirs, and other obstacles that stood in their way ; and some by leaping short, have by that means been taken.* If they happen to meet with such im- pediments that they cannot get to sea, they be- c'ome sick, lean, and pine away, and die in two years. The principal occasion of their dying is tiiis ; the salmon being a fish by nature tender, and very chill, cannot in the winter season en- * Salmon will sometimes ascend up a river four or fire hun- i]»ed miles, only to cast their spawn, |and secure it in banks of •»iiad till the young be hatched and excluded, and then return TO tac sea agtiiu. Ray. FISH IN ENGLAND A J^ D WALES. 43 dure the extreme frigidity of the fresh river wa- ter, by reason of its tenuity, especially being so lately weakened by spawning; and, therefore, by instinct, they make the sea their winter habi- tation, the sea being naturally warm. But if they spawn in the mean time, from thence proceeds a small salmon, called a Skegger, which never grows large. The female salmon is distin- guished from the male because its nose is longer and more hooked, its scales not so bright, and its body speckled over witli dark brown spots; its belly flatter, and its flesh not so red ; more dry, and less delicious to the taste. The growth of this fish is so extraordinary^ that a young salmon being taken at IVarrington, and which weighed seven pounds on the 7ih of February, being marked with scissars on the back fin, was again taken on the 17th of March fol- lowing, and was then found to weigh seventeen pounds and a half. The principal rivers in England for salmon, are^ 1st, The ThameSj whose salmen be;its all others for taste and flavour; the Severn and the Trent ; the Lon at Lancaster, about Cockersand jobber/; at Workington in Cuuiberland ; Di/roell in North- ufnberland; Durhamyhiid Newcastle on Tyne; the Dee in Cheshire ; aad the rivers Usk and IVye in Monmouthshire. Besides the salmon-leap m Pembrokeshire, there is another in the river Ban in Ireland: this river is in the mountains of Mourn in the county of Doxvn, and it passes through Lough Laugh, or Lough Sidncif, a large lake in the county of Colraine. Mr. Cambden, says it breeds salmons in abundance, above all other rivers in Europe, because it is thought to exceed ail others for clearness, in which sort of ■water salmons deiigat. lie bites best about three 4'4 BESl 3 AKT OF ANGLING. ill the aflernooHj in Ala >/y June, Ju(t/, and Augmt, it' the water be clear and a little breeze of wind stirring: especially if the wind and stream are contrary. You must fi>h for hiin like a trout, with a worm, Hy,. or tiiiimozVf or loh-rcof^.m is an excellent bait for him, well scoured in moss, which makes it tough, clear, ai;d lively. When, you have struck him, he \vill. plunge and bounce in. the water very much, tlierefore it is necessary to have a strong rod, ringed the same as a trozding^ rody and a winch, with a strong line on it forty yards long, with which lengtli, and a proper playing him, you may kill the largest sized one.- He has not a constant residence like a trout, but removes often, and you should always angle for. him as near the spring-head as possible^ in the deepest and broadest parts of the river, near the sround. Put two larsie /ob-zmrms on at a time; and you may lish without a float, that is with a running line. Let one yard next to your hook be o«wp, and your hook a proper sized mlmou-hook.. No. 1, N. B. When I come to treat o? fly-fishing, the proper flies for the salmon, &c. wiii be clearly expressed. TRTJTTA. The Trout \ is a delicious fresh-water fish,, speckled with red and yellow ; coming in and i^oing out of season with the buck, and spawn- ing in the cold months of Oc^ofeer and November^ whereas all other lishes spawn in the hot summer months. There are several species of this iish., all valued very much ; but the best are the red and vellow ; and of these the female distin- guished by a less head and deeper body, is pre- THE TROUT, 45 iened ; by tlie largeness of their backs you may know when ihey are in season^ which may serve as a rule tor all other fishes. All winter long they are sick, lean, and unwholesome, and fre- quenth" lousy. As the spring advances, desert- ing the still deep waters, tliey repair to the gra- velly ground, against which they continue to rub, till they have got rid of their lice, which are a kind of worm, with large heads; from that time they delight to be in sharp streams, and such as are very swift; where they wait ibr minnows, May-fiies, &c. The latter part of May they are in the highest perfection. The colours of the trout, and its spots, vary greatly in the different waters, and in different seasons ; yet each may be "reduced to one spe- cies. In Llyndivi, a lake in South Wales, are trouts called coch-y-fiail, marked with red and black spots, as big as sixpences; others unspot- ted, and of a reddish hue, that sometimes weigli near ten pounds, but are bad tasted. In Lough-Neagh, in Ireland, are trouts called there buddas^hs. which sometimes weiah thirty pounds. Trouts (probably of the same species) are also taken in Ullcjs-vvater, a lake in Cumberland, of a much superior size to these of Lough-JNeagh ; these are supposed to be the same with the trout of the lake ol" Geneva. He is usually caught witli a zcorniy minnow, or^y, either natural, orartiticial; ilie different baits for him are the carth-zcorrt, dun^-zcorm. and ihemcurnotyOV z^ntle, but the best are tlie lob-worm, and brandling. Hii^haunls are, iii in purling brooks, running very swift over chalk stones, gravel, &cc. he is oftener taken in the side of the stream, tlian in it, though the large ones are often caught in the deepest part of it. lit 46 best's art of angling. delights to shelter himself behind large stones, or small banks that hang ovec the river, which the stream running against, creates a tbam; also in the eddies between two streams ; his hold is usually under the roots of trees, and in hollow banks in the deepest parts of rivers. When you angle for him at the ground, let the link of your line, next the hook, be the best silk worm gut vou can provide; and have a nice elastic rod, which v/ill enable you to strike tri?e, and to feel him when he bites. AiT"le for him with a run- •-J nin.o- line, and beciii at the unper part of the Stream, carr^^ingyour line witli an upright b.aad, and feeling your lead run on the ground about ten inches from the hock, leading your line ac- cording to the swiftness of the stream ; as before directed. If you bait either with one or two worms, follow the manner of l>aithig with theiu which f have laid down in the rules, and you will run on the sjround without beino: entanoled. mi • • • • • (^ There is a very killing method likewise for a large trout; make a pair of wings of the feather of a land-rail, and point your hoolc with one or more cadis's ; your hook should be bristled, that rs, when you whip on your hook, fasten a hog's- bristle under the silk, with the end standing out about a^ straw's breadth at the head of the hook, from under the silk, and pointing towards the line, by which means the head of the cadis will be kept close to the wings; angle with a rod about live yards long, and a line about three ; cast the wings and cadis up the stream, which will drive it down under the water towards ilio lower part of the hole; then draw 'it up tlic stream very gently, though irregidarly, at the same time shaking your rod, and in a few casts joa will be sure to hook him, if there is one in THE TROUT. 47 the hole. You may angle the ieaijie way with two braudlinQ-s. Jf voii use two caciis's with the winiis, run voiir hook in at the head and out at tlie ncek ot" the first, and t|'aite through the other from licad to tail. The Minnow is the most excellent of all baits for the trout; wheti you fisii wiih one chuse the w.hites.t, and middlcd-sizcd ones, these being the best; and you must pU^ce him on your hook in such a manner, that being drawn against the stream he may turn round. The best way of baiting with a minnow is thus: put your hook in at his incnith, and out at his gill, drawing it through about three inches: thtn put the hook again into his mouth, and let the point and beard come out at his tail; then tie the hook and his tail with a fine white thread, and let the body of the minnow be almost straight on the hook; then try if it turns-well, which it cannot do loo fast. Angle with the point on your rod down the stream, drawing the minnow up the stream by little and httle, near the top of the ^vater. When the trout sees the bait, he will comemost fiercely at it, but be cmeful not to snatch it aw ay, which at first you may be apt to do; and never strike till he has turned with the bait. N. B. In this way of angling a ringed rod is to be always used, with a winch for your line, which should have two or three swivels on it; by which means the minnow w^ill spin the better. Trouts are most voracious fishes, and afford the angler excellent diversion; the passion for the sport of angling is so great in the neigh- bourhood of London, that the hberty of ang- ling in some of the streams of the adjacent countries, is purchased at the rate of ten pounds per annum. 43 best's art of angling. These fish shift their quarters to spawn, and, like the Salmon, make up to\v'ards the heads of rivers to deposit their roes. The rivers most famous for trout are the Keri" net near Hinigerford in Berkshire ; the Stowevy in Kent J which runs xhxongii Canterhurij, and is said to breed the best trouts in the south-east of England, those in the Wandle, near Cashalton in Surry ; the Amerhf^ in Sussex ; the Dote, fVije, Lathkin, and Bradford, in Derbyshire-^ Ribhle and Irk, in Lancashire; and in the Usk and Wi/e, in Monmouthshire, are accounted excellent trouts ; but to speak impartially, no one can ab- solutely determine in what particular river or brook are the most and best trouts. This, how- ever, is certain, that trouts are better or w^orse, bigger or less, according to the nature of the soil on which the river runs: pure clear, trans- parent streams, running on rocks, pebbles, or more especially lime-stones or flijits, are experi- mentally found to breed, and afford the most delicate and best trouts. The hook No 2 or 3. THYMALLUS, The Gragling, Grayling, or Umber; this fish has three different names given it, according to the different parts of England where it is found; he is by no means a general fish, and what anglers seldom meet with, except in the rivers Dove and Trent, and some other small streams, particularly in that which runs by Salisbury. The haunts of the grayling are nearly the same of the trout; and in fishing for either of them, THE CARP. 49 you may catch both. They spawn the begin- ning of Jpril, ^vhen they He mostly in sharp streams; in December he is in his prime, at ^vhich time his gills and head are blackish, and his belly dark grey, studded with black spots. He bites very freely, but is often lost when struck, his mouth being very tender. The ]ar2:est that has been heard of was taken near Ludlow: it was half a yard long, and weighed four pounds six ounces. Angle for him about mid-water, he being much more apt to rise than descend; and when you angle for him alone, and not for the trout also, use a quill float, with the bait about six or seven inches from the ground. He takes brajtd/ings, gilt-tails, meadow Zi/orms, gentles, See. but the most excellent bait for him, in AJarch or xVpril, is the tag-tail. The hook No. 10. CYPIlIIUUSf The Carp ; is allowed to be the queen of fresh water fishes (as the salmon is the king) and lives longer than any other fish (except tiie eel) out of its element. They breed several times in one year; but their first spawning time is in Alaj/. My. Kay assures us that in Holland they have a speedy way of fattening them, by hang- ing them up in a net in a cellar, and feeding them with bread and milk. Patience is highly necessary for every one to be endowed with who angles for carps, on account of their sagacity and cunning; the haunts are in the deepest parts of ponds and rivers, and in the latter where the streams run slow. When the weather in ^pril, May, Juno, Jul}', and August, is hot and fine, you cannot be too early or late al the sport. F / 50 best's art of angling. ^ He seldom refuses the red-zcorm in April^ llie cadis in May, or the grasshopper m June, July, and August. You must angle for him with a strong rod and line, a quill tloat, and strong gut at bottom; the liook in the medium of size ; be- ins: a leather-mouthed fish he seldom breaks his hold, if your tackle is strong and you play him properly. But whenever you intend to fish for him particularly, and in good earnest, over night lay in a ground-bait of garbage; as chicken's guts, blood mixed with cowdung, or any coarse paste; also ale grains and blood in- corporated with clay, and at the same time that you throw^ any of these ground baits in, plumb the ground to two depths, (tor it is best to angle for carps with two rods,) one about mid-water, the other four or five inches from the ground. The next morning lay your lines in very cauti- ously and success will attend you. Gentles arc very good bait for the carp, also a paste made of honey and bread, and one made with bread and w^ater alone tinctured with red lead, but nothing in my opinion beats a green pea, par- boiled, having killed more w^ith that than any other bait. The Cai'p is one of the naturalized fish in England, having been introduced here by Leonard Maschal, about the year 1514, to whom the English are also indebted for that excellent apple the pepin. The many good things which this island wanted before that period, are enumerated thus: Turkies, Carps, Hops, Pickrel, and Beer, ' Carae all into England in one year. Polish Prussia is the chief seat of the carp (they abound in the rivers and lakes of that countrv, THE BREAM. 51 particularly in the Frisch and Curisch-hafl', wliere they are taken of a vast size. They live to a great age, and grow almost to an incredible weight. A carp weighing fifteen pounds seven ounces, was some time back taken out of the water in Lord Exeter's grounds at Burghley. The hooks for this fish No. 3 or 4. In fine sun-sliiny days, carps will often prime about noon, and swim about the edges of a pond, to catch such fiies as fall upon the surface of the water: let the angler tlien lake a strong rod, and pliable at the top, a strong line, and a hook large enough for a lob-worm'^ then finding a place free from weeds, about the compass of the crown of a hat, let him drop his bait without a float, and with only one large shot upon the line, which he must lodge upon the leaf of some adjoining weed, so that the bait may not be above eight inches in the water; then retiring, but so as to l:eep his eye upon the shot, let him wait till he sees it taken away, with about a foot of the line, and then strike : when he has hooked his fish, let him keep him tii^ht, and not suffer him to entano^le himself amons: the weeds: but either draw him out by main force, or pull him into a clear place and there kill him. N.B. The forea:oinf:r method is an excellent one, and gjcat number* of carp may be taken by it in ponds which are well stocked. The hook No. J. CYPJljyUS LATUSANT BRUM A, Tlie Brccnn; he spawns in June; his chief re- sidence is in ponds; he is a bony fish and very slow in growth. T ro»n Saint Jamcs\ tide to I3ar- iliolomcii) tide is the best time to angle for hitn, F 2 52 best's art of angling. and the besi time of the day in that season is, from 5un rise, to eight o'clock, in a gentle stream, the water being rather thick, and cnrlcd with a good breeze. Some say that breams and roaches will mix their eggs and milt together, therefore the angler in many places will meet with a bastard breed of breams, that never come to be either good or large, but very numerous. There is more time thrown away in angling for this fish, tlian I think he is worth; being in my opinion very insipid. He delights in the deepest and widest parts of the water, and if the bottom is clear and sandy it is the better. His baits are gentles, red-wormsy gilt-iaihj and grasshoppers : when he takes your bait he makes for the oppo- site shore, therefore give him play, for though he is a strong-made fish, he will not struggle much, but in two or three turns, fall on one side, and 3"ou may land him very easily. Angle for him with a strong line, with gut at bottom, the hook No. 4. and throw in the place you intend to angle for him, a ground bait made of malt, grains, bran, blood, and clay, the night before; and you may fish with two or three lines, plumbed to different depths, and follow the method which is laid down for the carp. The French esteem this fish highly and have this proverb concerning him : that he who has breams in his pond, is able to bidhis friend zvelcome. The best part of a bream is his belly and head. ( LUClUSy The Fihe ; is a very long-lived fish, according to Lord Bacon and Gesner-^ who say he outliv€*s all others. He is called the tyrant of the waters, and will almost seize upon any thing, nay unna- TIIK PIKE 53 turailv devour his owq kind. These fisli were introduced into England in tlie reign of Henry the VIII. in 1537. They were so rare, that u pike WHS sold for double the price of a house- lamb, in February, and a pickerel for more than a fat capon. Hes[)awns in Februari/ or March-^ the best pike are those that are found in rivers, those in ponds are not near so good : the larger he is, the coarser tlie food, and so vice vetsa. He feeds on small fishes, and Irogs, and on a weed called pickerel, from which some assert he derives his being ; he is a solitary, melancholy, and bold fish, always being by himself, and never swim- ming in shoals, or in company with other lislies. There are two ways of angling for the pike, by the ledger bait and the walking bait. First, the ledger bait is that fixed in one certain place, and which the angler may leave and angle for other fish; of this kind the best is some living bait, as a dace, gudgeon, loach, or live frog. Toapply it, if a fish, stick the hook through his upper lip, or back fin, then fastening it to a strong line ten or twelve yards long; tie the other end to some stake in the ground, or stump of a tree, near the pike's haunt; letting the line pass over the fork of a stick, placed for the purpose, and suspend- ing the hook, by a yard of the line in the water; but so as when tlie pike bites, the fork may give way, and let him have line enough to go to his hold, and pouch the bait. If you bait with a frog, put the arming wire in at his mouth, and out at his gill ; then tie the frog's \q^ above the upper joint to the armed wire. Secondly, The zvalliing bait is that which the fislier attends to himself, and is called trowling, from the French of troller, to move or walk about. Before I ^ p3 54 best's art of angling. proceed any further in this mode of angling for the pike, I shall give the angler a description of the kind ot rod, line, andhooks, necessary to be used. Your rod must be a strong one, and ringed for the line to pass through, and about three yards and a half long; your line about thirt}^ yards long, wound upon a winch, to be placed on the butt end of your rod, and with which, you may always keep your line to any length; and at the end of your line next the hook let there be a swivel. The hooks that are most general are the two following ones; they are formed and baited in this manner. Tlie first is no more than two single hooks (though you may buy tliem made of one piece of wire) tied back to back, ■with a strong piece of gimp between the shanks; in whipping the gimp and hooks together, make a small loop, and take into it two links of chain, about an eighth of an inch diameter; and in the lower link (by means of a staple of wire) fasten by the greater ead a bit of lead, of a conical figure, and angular at the point. The second hook may be either single, or double, with a long shank, and leaded two inches up the wire, with apiece of lead about a quarter of an inch square; at the greater or lower end fix to the shank an armed wire about four inches Ions:, and at the top of the wire, about half a yard of gimp, with a loop at the top of that: to bait this hook, you must have a brass needle, about seven inches long; put the loop of the gimp on the eye, or small curve of the needle, then thrust it into the mouth of the fisli, and bring it out at his tail, drawing the gimp and wire along with it, till the lead is fixed in the belly of the bait-fish, and the hook, or hooks, are come to his mouth ; then t^rn the points of the hooks towards his eyes, ii" THE PIKE. 55 a double hook, but it a single one, directly in a line with his belly, and tie his tail to the arming- wire, very neatly, with white thread. To bait the former, put the lead into the mouth of the bait fish, and sew it up ; the fish will live some time; and though the weight of the lead will keep his head clownwards, he will swim with nearly the same ease as if at liberty. Either of the former hooks bciiiG: baited and fastened to the swivel, cast it into the water, and keep it in constant motion; sometimes letting; it sink^ and at others raising it gradually, chiefly throwing it into the parts of the pond, mecr, or river, where his haunts arc most usual; as near banks, under stumps of trees, by the side of bullrushes, water- docks, weeds, or bushes, but in any of these places you need never make above a trial or two for him, for if he is there he wi'l instantly seize the bait. When you draw your bait near the bank, play itlonjrer there, first deep, then raise it higher asd higher by degrees, till you bring it so near the top, that you can see it glitter; take it not hastily out, because he often takes it near the top. When he has taken it give, him line, and let him run to his hold and pouch it; allow him in general five minutes law, then strike him, and divert yourself with him as you please. But, if after he has run on with the bait to his hold, and rests there but about a minute, and then runs quickly off with it again, do not strike him until he has rested a second time : and not then, until the five minutes are expired, unless he runs off again before they are; which if he does, draw a tight line and strike him in\mcdiately; if he resists very much give him line enough, which will soon exhaust his strength; and when you pull him towards you do not do it violently ; for 5G best's art of angling if you do he will launch and plunge in sueh a manner, that though he may not be able to break your tackel, yet he will tear away his hold ; nay, even his entrails if he is hooked there; but if you feel him come easily towards you, wind up your line, until you see him; then if he struggles again very much, give hiui line again ; and so proceed till }'ou have killed him; by following which methods you will soon accompiish. The pike bites best IVom the middle of suinmer, to the end of autumn, about three in the afternoon, in clear water, ruffled with a gentle gale; but in winter all day long; and in the spring he bites early in the morning, and late in the evening. The best baits for him are small roaches, daces, bleaks, 8cc. \^ the day be dark and cloudy ; but a Q;itdgeon is the best, if the water is clear, and the day bright and line. Your live baits should be kept in a tin kettle, with holes made in the lid, that you may change your water often, which will keep tlieui alive a long while; your dead ones in a tin box made for that purpose, with bran, whieh dries up the moisture tliat hangs about tliem, and contributes to preserve them longer. Ang- ling for the pike at the snap is to let him run a little and then to strike him the contrary vfay from whence he runs, with two strong jerks ; in this method you must use a double spring hook w hich is to be had at any of the shops, and your tackle must be very strong. The snap is best used in March, when they are spawning; at which time they are sick, and lose their stomach; though they v;iil then take your bait, but imme- diately throvv it out of their mouths; therefore striking them when they first take [the bait is the only way to be even with them; which is called iingling'dtsnop. The way to bait the snap hook i& THR PIKE. 57 thus; make a hole with a sharp peii-knitV- in the side of the bait-fish; then put the gimp that is fastened to your hook into it, and draw it out at the mouth, till the spring hook comes to the place where the incision was made ; whic*h when it is, put it into the belly of the fish, then have a piece of lead, about the size of a horse-bean, though of an oval form, with a hole through it from end to end, large enough for the gimp to go through ; draw it down to the fish's mouth, then put it in it and sew it up. Or vou mav make an incjsion in the skin only, and draw the gimp out at the bone behind the gills, then enter it again under the gills, and bring it out at the mouth, which 1 think is the best method, be- cause the hook has onl}^ the skin to hinder its fixing in the pike ; whereas in the first method it must pierce through the flesh and skin before it can touch him ; and if it is not very large, may hook him so slightl}' as to spoil all your sport. There used to be a way also of taking pike called hiixiufr. hut as the use of trimmers \s now so generally known, it would be needless lor me to insist farther upon it. I shall now communicate to the reader a me- thod which I have taken more pikes and jacks with than any other way. The hook which you must use, is to be like tlie first hook that I have mentioned, with this exception only, that the lead of a. conical fisiure must be taken awav : then, before you fix the swivel on the bottom of the line, put on a cork float that will swim a gud- geon, then put on your swivel, and fi^ your hook and gimp to it : put a swan shot on yourgimp, to make your float cock a little, and of such a weight," that when the hook is baited with the gudgeon, it may do so properly. Your gudgeons must be 58 best's art of angling. ' -. . „ .. - - , , , — - kept alive in a tin kctile : take one and stick the hook either through his upper lip or hack fin, and throw him into the iikelv haunts be to re-mention- ed, swimming at mid-water. When the pike takes it, let him run a little, as at the sriapj and then strike him. In this method of pike lis!iing, you may take three kinds of" fish, viz. pikes, perches, and chubs. These fishes are to be met with in most oF the lakes of Europe^, but the largest are those taken in Lapland, which, according to Schoeffer, are sometimes eight feet long : the largest fish of this kind which I ever heard of and saw a draw- ing of, weighed to the best of my memory, thirty- five pounds. This [ saw in the kitclien of Sir Richard Hill, of Hazckestone, Salop. At the Marquis of Trentham's canal, at Tren- tham, a pike seized the head of a swan, as she v/as feeding under v/ater, and gorged so much of it as killed them both. Small fishes shew the same uneasiness and de- testation at the presence of this tyrant, as the little birds do at the sight of the hawk or o\^,\. Hides to be observed in trowling. September and October are the best montlis for trozo/it'g, because the weeds are then rotten, and the tislies are fat with the summer's feed. March is the best for the snap, because, as I have said before, they then spawn, and are sick, and therefore never bite freely. A large bait intices the pike to take it the most, but a small one takes him w-iih grer.ter certainty. Always, both at troct'l and snap, cut away one of tlie (ins, close at the gills of the bait fish, and another at the vent on the contrarv side, which makes it play better. THE PKRCK. 5f| Let 110 weeds liang on your bait, Tor if they do, the pike will not toiicli it : and always throw it into the water gently. Wiien you liave a bite, and the fish cfoes down the stream, it is commonly a small one; but on the contrary, if he sails slowly u})wards with the bait, it is sl sign of a good one ; great fishes in general bile more calmly than small ones ; for the small ones snatch and run away with the bait Avithout any deliberation, but old fishes are more ^vary. I5e careful how you take a pike out of the water, for his bite is venemous ; therefore if you have not a landing net, put your finger and thumb into his e^'es, and take him out that way. 13otli at t70zcl and snap, always have one or more swivels on the line, which will prevent its kenking, and make it play better in the wat(M\ Whenever you find your Z^tf/Z^/ZsA water-sopt, change it directly : the hooks for this fi^h are various, PERCA FLUFIATILJS, The Perch; is bovv'-backed like a hog, and arm- ed with stiff gristles, and his sides with dry thick scales, lie is a very bold biter, which a})pears by his daring to venture upon one of his own kind with more courage than even the ravenous luce. lie seldom grows above two feet long, spawns once a-ycar, either in Fcbmary or March, and bites best in the latter part of the spring. Our Perch and that of Aristotle and Ansonius is the same. It was much esteemed by the Komans, nor is it less admired at present, as a firm and delicate fish; the Dutch, indeed, are 60 B fist's art of angling. particularly fond of it when made into a dish called tvater-soricht/. The perch is a fish very tenacious of life : they are often carried near sixty miles in dry straw, and survive the journey. One was once taken in the Scrpentiue-river, Hyde-park, that weighed nine pounds ; but that is very uncommon. Tlie colours are beautiful ; the back and part of the sides being of a deep green, marked with five broad black bars point- ing downwards; the belly is white, tinged with red, the ventral fins of a rich scarlet ; the anal fins and tail of the same colour, but rather paler. His haunts are chiefly in the streams not verv deep, under hollow banks, a gravelly bottom, and at the turnin"- of an eddv. U the weather is cool and cloudy, and tlie water a little rufHed, he will bite ail day long, especially from eight to ten in the morning, and from three till six in the evening. If there are thirty or forty of them in a hole they may be all caught atone btanding : they are not like the solitary pike^ but love to accompany one another, and swim in shoals, as all fishes which have scales are observed to do. His baits are m'ninozcSy little frogs or b?arid(irigSy if well scoured; when he bites give liim time enough, and you can hardly give him too much; for as he is not a leather-mouthed fish, without you do, he will often break his hold. Angle for him, if you bait with brandling, with an indifferent strong line, and gut at bottom, your hook No. 4, 5, or 6, and about five or six inches from the ground. But if you rove for him with a minnow 01' frog (which is a ver}' pleasant way) then your line should be strong, and the hook armed with gimp, and the bait swimming at mid-water sus- pended by a cork float, I for my own paf t al- THE TExXCH. f) I ways use my tiowl, that in case a pike should take it, l may be prepared for him. Keep your minnows in a tin kettle, and when you bait with one, stick the hook through his upper lip or back fin. If you use the frog, stick it through the skin of [lis hind leg. I'hese directions being care- fully attended to, 1 dare insure the angler success. The percA is much esteemed in Italy, especially when small: Ge^wer prefers the perch -dnd pike before the trout, or any fresh fish. The Ger- mans say proverbially, more wholesome than a perch of the Rhine ! TINCA, The Tench ; (tlie fi.she's physician) so called because its slime is said to be very healin^'- to wounded fishes ; and what is more strange, the voracious pike is so sensil)le of his sovereign vir- tue, that he will not hurt a tench, although he will seize any other fish of his own size that come* in his way ; and when he or any other fishes are sick, they find relief by rubbing tlieiuselves against his body. He is a delicious fresh water fish'; has small scales, yet very large and smooth fins, a red circle about tlie eyes, and a little barb hangin'r at each corner of his mouth. His haunts are chiefly in ponds amongst weeds ; he thiives very ill in clear waters, and covets to feed in foul ones"; yet hisfiesh is nourishing and pleasant. The Tench is esteemed, as most delicate food among us; but the (iermans dislike it much, and by way of contempt, call it shoemaker. Ges- ner even says, that it is insipid and unwholesome. It does not commonly exceed four oriivt- pounds in weight; but they have been met villi oi a mucli Iciri^er size. w (y2 best's art of angling. They spawn the beginning of Juii/: the pro- per time to angle for thein is early and late in the months of May, June, the latter end of July, and in August. You must use a strong line with gut at bottom. The hook, No. 2 or 3, and a quill float; the depth about two feet. He bites "best at red-worms, if you dip them first in tar ; at all sorts of pafstemade up with strong-bcented oils, and at one made with the inside of a roll, and honey. Also at cad-worms, lob-worms, ^/iag- worms, gentles, marsh-worms, and soft boiled bread-orrain. Besides the river Slour in Dorset- shire, so particularly recommended for plenty of tench and eels, there is BrecknockMere, in Breck- nockshire, being two miles in length, and as much in breadth, full of perches, tenches, and eels. N. B. One river tench is worth te?ipond. PASSER FLUf][ATJLJS SIVE JMPJI IBIOUS, The Flo?mder* ; may be fished for all day, either in swift streams, or in the still deep, but best in the stream, in the months of April, May, June and July. Your line must be a single-haired one, with a small doat, and the hook, Ino. 6 or 7. Let your bait touch the ground, wliich may be any sort of small worms, wasps, or gentles. He beins: a fish but seldom taken with the rod and line, to enlarge on the subje>ct would be to- tally unnecessar3\ CAPITO SEU CEPHALUS, The Ch.nh ; is a fish by no means in very much esteem, his tlesh being very coarse, and full of * The Flounder and all its extensive g;cr.us, of flat fish ; are distinguished from all others by one invariable characteristic, yiz. tliut of having both the eyes on the same side the iiead. THE ClllB. ^63 small bones; yet he afioids good sport to tli« angler, especially to a Tijru in that art. This iisli lakes its name from its head, not only in the English, but in other langnages; it is called Chub, according to Skinner, from the old English copy a head ; the French in the same names, call '\t iestard ; the Italians, capitone. Ifc does not i^row to a larire size : we seldom meet v/iih them above five pounds vveiglit; but Salvi- anus speaks of eiglit or nine pounds weight. They spawn ai)out the [)eG:imiing of jlpril\ and their A«/zr//5 are chiefly in large rivers, having clayey or sandy bottoms, in holes, shaded with trees ; where many of them in general keep to-» gether. He bites best from sun-rising till eight, and from three till sun-set. In March and April you must angle for the chub w^ith toorms, in June and July, with ///c'.'?, snails, and chen ies ; but in AuQ:ust\and Sentember, use a paste made of Parmesan or lioUnud c/iee^c, pounded in a mor- tar with a little butter, and a small quantity of safiron put to it to make it of a yellow colour. In the winter, when the chub is in his prime, a paste made of Cheshire cheese and turpcritiuc, is verygoorl; but no bait more killing for him, than the pifh of an ox or cov*f's back-bone: you must take the tough outward skin oif very carefully, but take particular care that you do not bruise the inward skin; also tlie brains of the above animal-> arc excellent for him. Let your line be very strong, with a quill lloav. on it, strong gul at bottom ; the hook, No. 3 or 4, the depth, in hot weather, mid-water, in coldi.h near the bottom, and in quite cold weather on the ground. The most pleasant v.ay of taking him isby dibbing, w hicli is thus performed ; in a hot summer's day L,o to any Ijolfe that you know they haunt, and "ml 64 best's art op angling. you will find perhaps thiriy or forty of them basking themselves on the surface of the water; then take your rod, wliich must be very strong and long, your line the same, but about a yard in length: and bait the hook with a grasshopper : you must shelter 3'ouiself behind some bush or stump of a tree, so as not to be seen; for the chub is very timorous, and the least shadow will make him sink to the bottom, though he will soon rise again. Having therefore fixed your eye upon the largest and best, drop your bait with great caution before him, and he will in- stantly take it, and be held fast; for he is a leather- mouthed fish, and seldom breaks hold if played properly. N. B. In dibbing, where you cannot get a grasshopper, any Jij/, beetle, or moth, will equally answer the purpose. When you are roving for perch with a minnow you will often take large chub. The fearful chevin loves the shaded stream; Sharp rills deWght the truut, and pools the bream-. Ill deeps, the speckled samlet loves to rove, And marly swifts, allure the barbel drgve ; Unwary roach, the sandy bottom chuse. And cdrp the weeds, and e^ls the muddy ooze. Moses Browne, BARBUSf The Barbel ; so called on account of the barb, or beard, that is under his nose or chops, is a lea- ther-mouthed fish ; and though he seldom breaks kis hold when hooked, yet if he proves a large one, he often breaks both rod and line. The male is esteemed mucli better than the female, « THE BAilBEL. 05 but neither of tijein are very extraordinary. They swim in great shoals, and are at the worst in JpriL at which time they spawn, but so(ni come into season again ; the places they chiefly resort are such as are weedy, gravelly lising grounds, in which this fish is said to dig, and rout his nose like a swine. In tjie summer he frequents the strongest and swiftest currents of water, as under deep bridges, weirs, &c and is apt to settle himself amongst the piles, hollow places and ;ri moss and weeds. In the autumn he retires into the deeps, Wiiere he remains all the winterand bei>innini>of tiicsprinp;. 'Ihebcst baits for him are salmoN-spawri,lob-zcorms, gentiesy bits of cheese wra[jt up in a wet linen rag to make it tough, or ^teeped in honey for twenty-i'our hours, nnd greaves : observe, tliat the sweeter and cleaner your baits are kept tlie more eager he takes them. You cannot bait the ground too much for him, when you ai)2:ie for him with any kind of garbage: as lob-Kornis, cut in pieces, malt and graiii'i incorj>orated with b/uodund day, &c. The earlier and later vou fish for liim in the months of June, July, and August, the better. Your rod and line must be very strong; the former ringed, and the jattei must have gimp at the bottom, but 1 think twisted gut is t;etler : a running plummet must be placed on your line, ^vhich is a bullet* with a hole through it: [)iace a large shot a foot above the liook, to prevent tlie bullet fallini:; on it. The worm \vill of course be at the bottom, for no Hoat is to be used, and ^vhea the barbel takes the bait, the bullet will lie on the2;round and notchoak him. Bv the bend- ing of your rod you will know when i)e bites, and * 1 huie found lately tliat the Hat plunimel is niuch bettei. G O 66 best's art of angling. also when your hand will feel him give a strong snatch; then strike him, and he will be your own, if you pliiy liim well ; but if you do not manage him with dexterity, he will break your tackle. You must have on vour rod a winch, and a line on it about thirty yards long. Barbels are the worst and coarest of fresh- water fishes, and seldom eaten bnt by the poorer sort of people, who sometimes boil them with a bit of bacon, to give them a relish. They are sometimes taken of the length of three feet, and eighteen pounds in weight. The most famous places near London for bar- bel-angling are Kingston-bridgey and Skeppertoii- deeps; but H'allon-deepSf Chcitsey-hridgey Hamp- ton-ferrijy and the holes under Ctyopers-hiU hxq in nowise inferior. You mav likewise meet with them at all the locks between Maidenhead and Oxford, N. B. Their spawn acts as a violent cathartic and emetic. His liver is likewise unwholesome. The hooks for this fish No. 1 or 2. ANGUILLZ, The Efly authors of natural history, in regard to the eel, have advanced various conjectures; and in some measure contradicted each other entirely on this head, namely : Whether they are produced by generation or corruption, as worms are, or by certain gluttinous drops of dew, which falling i-n May and June, on the banks of some ponds or rivers, are by the heat of the sun turned into eels. Abr. Mylius, in a treatise GO, the or/gvVi of animals y describes a me- thod of producing them by art. H e says, that if you cut up two turfs covered with May-dew, THK EEL. d? and lay one on the other the grassy side inwards, and thus expose them to the lieat of the sun, in a few hours there will sprin^- from them an in- finite quantity of eels. The duetrine of sponta- neous or equivocal generation is now universally exploded ; and all the phenomena that ^eem to support it are accounted for on other principles. These conjectures are therefore all nonsense ; for the immediate generation of Eels, has been suf- ficiently proved to be effected in the ordinary course of nature, and that they are vi vaporous. Eels are distinguished into four kinds, viz. the silver eel: a greenish ed, called a grey: a blackish eely with a broad flat head; and lastly an eel, with reddish fins. The eel's haunis are chiefly amongst weeds, under roots and stumps of trees, holes, and clefts in the earth botli in the banks and at bottom, and in the plain mud; where they lie with only their heads out, watching for prey: also about flood-gates, wears, bridges, and old mills, and in the still waters that are foul and muddy; but the smallest eels are to be met with in all sorts of rivers and soils. They conceal them- selves in the winter for six months in the mud,, and they seldom rove about in the summer in the daytime, butallnightlong;at which iimeyoumay take a great number of them, by laying in night- lines, fastened here and there to banks, stumps of trees, Sec. of a proper lengtli for the depth of tlve water, leaded so as to lie on the ground, and a proper eel-hook whipped on each, baited with the following baits, which he delights in, viz. garden-uorms or lobs, mimioTCi), lieiis-gut^, Jish garlj(ig€y loacheSf small gudgeons, or millers thumhs, also small roaches, th^' hook being laid in their mouths. There are two w^ays to take them in the day-time, called sniggling and bobbing. Sniggling h thus performed ; take a 68 best's art of angling strono- line, anrl bait vour hook with a larse lob- worm and go to sncli places abovemeiitioned where eels hide themselves in the dav-iiiiu% out tne bait genily into the hole, bv the help of a cleft stick, and if the eel is there he will certainiy bile, let him tire himself hv tua:ui nor, before you offer to puii him out, or else he will break your li'ie. 'J'he other method is csiWed hobbDiZ- In order to perform this you must scour souie large lob$, and with a needle run a twisted silk, or worsted, through as many of the.ii from end to end, as will ligiitly wrap a dozert times round your liand ; make tiiem into links, and fasten them to strong packthread or whip cord, two yards lon^:, then make a knot in the line about six or eight inches from the worms, afterwards put three quarteis of a pound of lead, made in a j)yramidal form, on the cord; the lead must bg made hoi low three part'^ of the wny up it, and then a hole miiSt be bored throusrhit, bjoenousi,"h to put the cord tiirough and let the lea4 slide down to the knot. Then fix all to a manageable pole, and use it in muddy water. Wlien the fishes tug, let them have time to fasten, then drav/ them gently up, and hoist them quick to shore. A boat called a puiit is very useful in this kind of fishing. Some u^e c\x\ eel spear lo catch eels with, which is an instrument with three or four forks or jagged teeth, which they strike at random into the mud. Common eels grow to a large size, sometimes so great as to weigh fifteen or twenty pounds,, but that is extremely rare. The eel is the most universal offish, yet is scarce ever found in the Danube, though it is very common in the lakes- and rivers of Upper Austria. THE EEL. (J9 The Romans lield this fish very clieap, proba- bly from its likeness to a snake, '* For you is kept a sink-fed snake-like eel." JUVJi;:«AL, SAT. V, The Conner Eel, Gfrows to an immense size : they have l)een taken ten feet and a hall" long, and eif^hteen inches in circumference in the thickest part. The best way to kill eels, is to strike tliciu on the navel. The rivers 5^ori'p?' in Dorsetshire; Jnkham m Lincolnshire; and Irk in. Lancashire; are famed by their respective neighbours for very exct^llcnt eels. Mr. Pope has celebrated the rivcr is^ennet, in Berkshire, on the same account in his Wind- sor Forest. The Kennet swift, for silver eels renmvu'd. In Hamsey-merey m Huntirtgchnshirej are a great quantity of ee/s and \i\i'<^e pikes, which they call Hagest; but Cambridgeshire boasts of hav- ingl the most and best eels, if you credit the natives. Kel-pouts, another fish somewhat resembUng the eel, but more esteemed, are also found in some rivers. Their haujts are the same as the eel's, and they are to be taken in peals of thunder and heavy rain, when they leave liieir holes. The best bait is a small gudgeon. Hooks, the doubje or single ones. RUTJLUS, SEU RUBELLIO, The Roach ; is as foolish as the car[) is crafty; he is by no means a delicate (ish ; the river ones 70 best's art of angling. are much belter than those bred in ponds. 'I'liey spawn in Maij, and will bite all ciay Ions;, if the weather is not in either of the extremes, on the top of the water. Their haunts are chiefly in sandy or gravelly deep waters: delighting to be in the shade. In i\pril their baits are cads and Tccri/is. In Slimmer, vrhite s?iai/s or /lies. In Ai?tumn, a paste made of iine white bread, moulded in your hands with water, and a little cotton added to it, to keep it from wasliina; off tne hook. In winter gT^^i^/es are the best bait for him; yon should fish with a line made oi' sinole hairs, a (pjili float, and the lead about a foot from the hook; and when yon angle for roach always cast in a ground bait, made of bran, clay, and bread, incorporated together;^' and when you angle with tender baits, always strike at the least nibble that is apparent. Sprouted malt, the young brood of wasps, /jeesiVipt in blood, and the dried blood of sheep, are nostrums in this kind of angling. Bread being now, at so extravagant a price, to use it as a ground-buit, when our poor stand so much in need of it, wo;. Id be presumptions and wicked. Therefore let the considerate ang- ler content himself with moulding bran and clayey soil well together, and throw it in, in small balls, about the size of a nonpareil. The lareest roach in thiskino'dom are taken in the 1 hames, where many have been caught of two pounds and a half weight; but roach of any size are hard to be taken without a boat. The people who live in the fishing towns along e banks of the Thames, have a method of the * Coaife hran and flour make an excellent ground bait, but Uicy must not bi* too much moulded. THE RU J), Sjf. 7 I dressijii^- large iocil-Ii and dace, wliicli it is said, renders iliem a very plccts^int and savcniry food ; it is as Follows: without scaling the fish, lay liiai on a gridiron, over a slow lire, a^id strew a iittie iioni Oil him ; when he begins to grow brown make a slit, not more than skin dee[>, in his back, iVom head to tail, atid lay him on again ; when he is broiled enough, the skin, scales anct all, will peal off and leave the flesh, winch vviil be by that time very firm and perfectly clean; open the belly, take out the inside, and use an- chovy and butter for sauce. , licd-pasle is an exceiient bait coloreii take care, lie stnujj^les lung, and breaks the siuiie hair. Moses Browne. LECCISSUSf The Dace or Dare; this fish, and the roach, arc much of the same kind, therefore ilie direc- 72 BliSr's AHT OF ANGLING. lions 2:iven fof- one will serve for the other. They spawn about the midrlle of March^ and Avill take any fly, especially the stonecadew-Jh/, ]SI(iy-Jiyy the latter end of April and most part of May; and the ant-Jly in June, July, and August. When you angle for the dace with the ant-fly under water, let it be about wo hands breadth from the ground. They never refuse a fly in a warm day on the top of the water. The best bait for them in the winter, is the earth hoh, it is the spawn of the beetle, and is to be found by following the plough in sandyish grounds; put them into a vessel with some of the earth from whence the v are taken, and nsethem all the winter as an excellent bait, as I have before mentioned in the description of baits. As for your line, &c. the directions given for the roach, will serve in all respects for the dace or dare. Dace may be also taken with flesh-flies, upon the sarface of the water ; into whose backs, be- tween the wings, you must put your hook, which should be very small : they bite in the morning and evening ; 3^ou nmst then provide a cane-rod, whicliis tlie lisihtest of ativ, and let it be seven- teen feet, at least, in lengvh, and your line, which should from the middle downwards, consist of single-hairs, be a little longer than your rod; then provide a sulTicient qiuintity of liomeflies, which keep in a phial, stopped with a cork. With these repair, especially about seven or eight o'clock ilia summer's evening, to a mill-streamy and having fixed three or four hooks, with single haii:^links, not above four inches long to your line, bait them with the flies, and angle up the surface of the water on the smoothest part, at the end of the stream ; the dace will rise freely, THE RUFF, &C. 73 especially if the sun (iocs not shine on that part ot" ihe water wliei'e you cast the flies, and you may take two or three al a time. This sport will continue as loni^ as (?a3'-lic:ht will permit you to see the flies. In the sauie maimer dace will also rise at the ant-Jii/ upon the surface of the water, if used in the morning: at the foot of a current or null-slream, or on the scour before the sun comes on the water. If the water is high, so as to be almost equal wiih its banks, tjike your Jiy-rod, and fasten to your rod an arlijicial-jh/, called the cater pillar-Jiij, or a snia'l red-palmer^ then take a large i/e/lozr- gentle, the yellower the b(5tter, run the hook througli the skm of it, and draw it up to the tail of ihc jij/ : this beinii; done, whip it on the surface of the water, and if you are diligent and expert, } on will have good di- version. Jf vou an'rle where two nii/l-streanis are going at the same time, kt it be in the eddy be- tween the two streams; iirsl make use of your pimnmet ; if the water is deep, angle within a foot of the bottom, and pcrhaj)s you will find but poor sport; but if it proves to be shallow, that is, about the depth of two feet, or not ex- ceeding three, your sport may be better ; bait your hook with three large gentles, use a cork Jloat, be very attentive and strike at the verv first bite ; if there are any large dace in the ntill-poo/, they uill resort to the eddy between the two streams. This fish, like the roach is gregarious, haunts the same places, is a great breeder, very liveiv, and durins: the summer is very fond of frolickintjf near the surface of the water ; it is seldom above ten inches long, and has been taken of one pound and a half weight. N. 15. AVhenevcr you fish (oi roach ox dace, H 74 best's art of angling, at ground, without you use a ground-bnit, the at- tempt is almost useless; after great heats, when the weather gets cool, you will be sure to have good sport. The hooks, No. 11 or 12. GOBI us FLUriJTILISf ^ The Gudgeon ; is a fish that affords the young angler an amazing deal of diversion ; being one that bites very free, and when struck is never lost, because he is a hather-mouthed fish. I'hey spawn three or four times in the summer, and their feed- ing is like the barbel's, in the streams and on gravel, slighting all manner of files. Their baits are chiefly wtisps, gentles, and cads, but the small red-worm is best. When you angle for them, be provided with & gudgeon-rake ^ with which rake the ground every ten minutes, which gathers them together, A single-haired line is best, with a quill or cork float, according to the rapidity of the stream ; your hook. No. 8 or 9, and your bait on the ground. You ma}^ angle for him with a running line, by hand, v.ithout a float. The gudgeon is of a small size; those few, however, that are caught in the Kennet and Cole, are three times the weight of thos« taken else- where. One was once taken near Uxbridge, that weighed half a pound. The author " On uins^ling in the Hirer Tre7it," eives us a new method of catchins: them : he first desires us, ^^ never to continue in the neater long, though he has been in it for six hours toge^ ther ;" he then observes with his usual circum- spection, " that the best wai/ of catching them, is bt/ going into the water, and stirring up the sand 0nd graveW* This surely may be termed gud- Tui-: POPE, Xc. 7 3 ifp.ou-hiDitnig iiKjie than gudgeon -fishing : Ferhajtx they are of a diffeient species in the Trent tJiun in Thames, S^c. d^'c. // PERCA FLUriATILlS, MINOR SEU AURATA, The Pope or Raff \ this fish with m double name, is small, and rarely grovvs bigger than u gudgeon ; in shape very like the perch, but is better food, being in the taste as pleasant as any iish whatever. It is armed with spines like the perch, but has only one back fin. It is of a dirty green almost transparent, and spotted with black. It seldom exceeds six inches in length. His haunts me in the deepest running parts of a gravelly river, the exact bottom Vv hereof, having found by plumbing, bait your hooks with small red-TCOrnis or brandlings ; for you may ani>le with two or three, and have excellent sport. He bites very grecdilj^, and as they swim in shoaN, you may catch twenty or thirty at one standing, ia a cool, gloomy day. Always bait the ground with earth, and use the same tackle as for the gudgeon. The river Yare in i^offolky is almost peculiar for plenty of ruffs. Hook, No. 9. ALBURN us J The Bleak or Biet/; on account of Its eager- ness to catch flies, is called bv some tlie river- srcallozo, and by others tiie Jresh-fiater sprat j bec^ause of its resemblance to ihe sea-sprat. Lie bites very eagerly at all sorts of wonns, ^/iies, pastes, and sheep's blood. You may fish for him v.ith six or seven small hooks at a time. He is u ^2 76 best's art of angling. an excellent fish to initiate a youno; anirler in fti/-fishi]igy by his wliipping for them in a hot summer's evening, with a small artificial black gnat. Your tackle must be fine and neatly formed. He is a-capital bait for the pike. Hook, No. 13 The bleak seldom exceeds five or six inches in length; artificial pearls are made with the scales of this fish, and of the dace. They are beaten into a fine powder, then diluted witii water, and nitroduced into a thin glsiss bubble, which is afterwards filled with wax. The French were the inventors of this art. Dr. Lister, says, that when he was at Paris, a certain artist used in one winter, thirty hampers full of fish in this manu- fact lire. VARJUSy SEU FH 07^ IN us L/EVIS) The Mill rtor0 or Pitik: thoulers in sieneral seldom meet with, because they are local, and peculiar to certain w'aters ; but as they are held in high estimation v.here they are taken, I shall de- scribe them as well as 1 can for the reader's infor- mation. ^ALBULA SALMON I SI MI LIS, The Guiiiuiad ; according to Camden and others, IS peculiar to Pemb/e-Mere in Cheshire. ^^ The * Hiilie-icater fishermen, in 1775, took near eight thougasd at G»ie iiraugiit. it is abcHt ckveu inches lon^. THE RED CHARR. 79 river Dee (says this author) which runs by C//c.v- ter, springs in Merioiiet/ishire, and it runs towards Chester-, it passes through the said Pemh/e-Mcre, which is a large water, and it is observed, that though the river Dee abounds with salmon^ and PemO/e-Mere with giii/inlady yet there are never any 5rt//7zo?/.s' caught in the Mere, iiovixny gi/ifmiadfi in the river.'' UMBRA BTINOR GESN — TffE RED CffARR, OR WELCH TORGOCir. The red charr is a fish whose make is longer and more slender than that of a trout, for one of about eight inches long was no more than an inch and a half broad. The back is of a grenish olive, spotted with white. I'he belly, about the breadth of half an inch, is painted with red, in some of a more lively, in others of a paler color, and in some, especially the female, it is quite white. The scales are small, and the lateral lines straight. The mouth is wide, the jaws pretty- equal, except the lower, which is a little shar- per and more protuberant than the upper. The lower part of the fins are of a vermillion dye. The gills are quadruple, and it has teeth both in the jaws and on the tongue; in the upper jaw there is a double row of them. The swimming- bladder is like that of a trout; the liver is not divided into lobes; the gall-bladder is large; the heart triangular; the spleen small and blackish; and the eggs of the spawn large and round. The flesh is more soft and tender than that of a trout, and when boiled can scarcely be allow:?d to be red. It is in the highest esteem where known, and in Wales is accounted the chief diidi at the tables of people of fashion 80 best's AllT OF ANGLING. The chief p]a(tt; in England where this fish is taken is JVinander-Mere: but in fVa/es they are to be had in five diiferent places, viz. L/aniber- ris, Liia-Umbet\ Fcstiniog, and Beit as, in Caer- fiarvo}ishire, and near Casageddor, in Merioneth- shire, in this last county they are sniaHer than in the former, and are taken in October; but in Carnarvonshire, in one of the lakes, they are caught in November; in another in December, and in the third in January, and when the fishing in one ends, it besiins in another. Dr. Leio'h savs the Charr^ in Consin^ ton-Mere, which is not far from IVinander-Mere, are much better, but there are reasons to suppose he was preju- diced in this article. According to Camden, the latter Miere is the lar;th ; and some say it is as smooth at the bottom, as it it was paved with polished marble. They swim toge- ther in shoals, and though they appear on the surface of the w^ater in the summer-time, yet thev will not sufi'er themselves to be taken, either with the angle, or with nets; therefore the only season for fishing is when they resort to the shallow parts of the lakes to spawn : at these times they set trammel nets baited, and leave them for whole days and nights, into which the fish enter of their own accord. *CARPlO LACUS BEN ACT — THE GUILTj OR GILT CHARR, The Latin writers called the Gilt Char, Car^ pio lacus Benaci, because they imagined it was * TUe Inhabitants of Westmoreland distinguish the Charr* into different kinds according to their colors j but they appear to be rather rarietics. THE GILT CHAR R. 81 only to be met with in that partieular lake, where it is called lioetel \ but it has since ap- ]»eare(l to be the same fish with our gilt chair, which is bred in fVhiau(Ier-'Mc?e,-^m liie county oF Westmoreland. It is proportionably broader than the trout, and the belly is more y>rominent; but its length, when greatest, never exceeds twelve inches : the scales are small, the color of the back is more lively than that of the trout, and is beautified with black spots, the belly and sides, beneath the lateral line, are of a bright silver color; the skull is transparent, and the snout blueish : it has teeth ii: the lower jaw, 6n the palate and the tongue; the swimniing- bladderis extended the wholelengih of the back, and the call-bladder is larcfe. The flesh of the gilt charr is red, and is accounted so very deli- cious amongst the Italians, that they say it excels all other pond and sea-fish whatever; and they esteem the nature of it so wholesome, that they allow sick persons to eat it. Some have doubted whether the Welch and English fish, are of the same kind or not; but Mr. Rrji/ thinks there is no room to make a doubt of it. The Welch name Torgoch, signifies a red belly, which distinguishes the Red Charr properly enough; the Gilt Charr is, indeed, quite a different species, and is about twice as small as the red : the belly of the former is red, the flesh while, and the spots on the back white likewise; whereas tlie belly of tiie latter is of a silver color, the flesh red, and tlie back is spotted with black. It The charr and guinniad never change their shires, " But live in Winauder and Pemlic-Meers." 82 best's art of angling "" i'lll I — ■ ■ ..- . ■,! — . , I. , ■ I ■■■ ■■ .. I I I a GOLD ASD SILVER FISHES. Tlie^* fish are quite naturalized in Europe, and breed as freely in the open waters as the common carp. They were first introduced into Engkuid ^ about the year 1 69 1, but were not generally known till 17-S, when a great number were brought over, and presented first to Sir Matthew Dekker, and by him circulated round the neigh- bourhood of London, whence they have been distributed to most parts of the country. la China the most beautiful kinds are taken in a small lakein theprovinceof Che-thyang. Every person of fashion keeps them for amusement, either in porcelain vessels, or in the small basons that decorate the courts of the Chinese houses. The beauty of their colors, and their lively mo- • tions, give great entertainmeni, especially to the ladies^ whose pleasures, by reason of the cruel policy of that country, are extremely limited. In form of the bodv, they bear a a^reat resemb- lance to a Carp. The}' have been known in Europe to arrive at the length of eight inches; in their native place they are said to grow to the size of our largest herring. Their nostrils are tubular, and form a sort of appendages above the nose; the dorsal fin and the tail vary greatly in shape; the tail is naturally bifid, but in many is trifid, and in some even quadrifid ; the anal fins are the strongest characters of this species, being placed not behind one another as in other fish, but opposite each other, like the ventral fins. Their colors vary greatly; some are marked Avith a fine blue; with brown, and WTth bright silver; biit the general predominant colour is gold^ of a moit amazing splendor ; but their MAKING FISH PONDS, t;ht, alona; tlie inside of the hook, whip that to the rii;ht, tltree or four limes round the shank of tlie ho(jk towards the right hand; alter which take the silk ze'orni gut, and lay either of its ends alongthe iruide of the shank of the hook, till it comes near the bend of it: then hold tha hook, silk, and giity tight between the fore finger and thumb of your left hand, and afterwards give that par', of tlie si/k to your right hand, three or for whips more over both /took and gut till it comes near the end of the shank, and make a loop and fasten it tight: then whip it neatly again over both silk, gut, and hook, till it comes near tlie bend of the hook : after which make another loop, and fa.^ten it again : then if the ijut should reach further than the bend of the hook, cut it oil, and your hook will be 108 best's art of angling. Avhipped on, and tlie parts of the silk hang from the bend of it. Having proceeded so far, wax the longest end of the silk again, and take three or four strands of an ostrich's feather, and holding them and the hook, as in the first position, the feathers to the left hand, and the roots of them in the bend of the hook with the silk that you waxed last, whip them three or four times round, make a loop, and fasten them tight ; then turning the strands to the right hand, and twisting them and the silk to2:ether, with the fore finG:er and thumb of your righthand, wind them round the shank of the first hook till you come to the place where you fastened, then make a loop, and fasten them again; if the strands should not be long enough to wind as far as is necessary round the shank, when the silk £rets bare you must twist others on It. ? Having performed this, take your scissars and cut the body of the palmer into an oval form, that is, small at the bend and the end of the shank, but full in the centre; do not cut too much of the dubbing oif. Now both the ends of the silk are separated, one at the bend, another at the end of the siiank. wax them both again; then take the hackle, hold the small end of it between the fore finoer and thumb of vom' left hand, and stroke the fibres of it with those of your right the contrary way from which they are formed; hold your hook as in the first position, and place the point of the hackle in its bend, with that side which grows nearest the cock up- wards, and then whip it tight to the hook; but in fastening it tie as few fibres in as you can possibly avoid: the hackle being fast, take it by the great end, and keeping the side nearest the cock to the left hand, begin with your righthand to wind it GREAT PALMER Oil HACKLE. 109 up tlie shaiilv upon the dubbing, stopping every second turn, and holding what you have wound tight with your left fingers, whilst with the needle you pick out the fibres you will unavoidably take in; proceed in this manner till you come to the place where you lirst fastened, and where an end of the silk is: then clip off those fibres of the liackle whicli you held between your finger and thumb, close to the stem, and hold the stem close to the hook, afterwards take the silk in your right hand, and whip the stem very fast to the hook: then make up a loop, and fasten it tiglit: take your pen-knife and if that part of the stem next the shank of tlie hook is as long as the part of tlic hook which is bare, paie it fine, wax your silk, and bind it neatly on the remaining bare part of the hook : then fasten the silk tight, and spjead some shoemaker's wax very lightly on your last binding; after that clip off the ends of the remaining: silk, both at the shank and tiie bend of the hook, and all fibres that start or stand ill-conditioned, and the whole is completed. This is called the palmer Jiij or plain hackle and may, instead of the ostrich's feather above-men- tioned, be dubbed with black spaniels fur, and is a very excellent killer. There are three piore palmers, which are all to be made in the same manner as I have laid down, only with diflerent ariicles, which are follows : GREAT PALJIERj OR HACKLE. Dubbed the same as the plain hackle with the strands of an ostrich's feather, or a black spaniel's fur, and warped with red peacock's hackle, un- trimmed, that is, leaving the whole length of the hackle staring out (for sometimes the fibres of the L 110 best's art of angling. hackle are to be shortened aiJ over, sometimes -barbed only a little, and sometimes close under- neath) leaving the whole length of fibres on the top, or back of the fly, which makes it swim ■better, and on a whirling round water, kills great £sh. Your hook for this pa/mery No. 5. GOLDEN PALMERy OR HACKLE. The same dubbin j:^, ribbed with gold twist and a red hackle over alL SILVER HACKLE. Made with black body also, silver twist over that, and a red hackle over all. The variation that is to be observed in making the gold and silver palmers is this, that when you whip the end of the hackle to the bend of the hook, you must also do the same to the o;old or silver twist, and first wind either of them on the dubbing, observing that they li-e flat on it, and then fasten ofl"; afterwards proceed with the hackle as directed : or you may wind the hackle on the dubbing first, and rib the body with either of the twists afterwards. These are the standard hackles in Jlj/-fishingt and are taken au}^ month i?) the year, from nine to eleven in the morning, and from one to three in the evening, and upon any water ; though you must have different sizes of them, and dubbed with different colours, that you may always be able to suit either a clear or dark water, or a bright and cloudy atmosphere; observing, that small li(rht-coloiired flies are for clear waters and skies, and the largest for dark and cloudy ones. These palmer s (as I said before) being takea ARTIFCIAL FLY. Ill every month in iheyear, when I come to treat of tlie riies proper for each month, 1 shall not take any notice again of the four which 1 have set clown, for that would be totally unnecessary ; but the others that deviate in their size and dubbing from the general rule, will be iuliy expressed. J he angler should always try the pa/men first, when he fishes in a river that he Is unaccustomed to; and even in that which he constantly uses, v/ithout he knows what tly is on the water, and tJiey ishouid never be changed till he docs ; the on y way to come to the true kiiowledge of which, he must observe an old established rule laid down for that purpose; ana as it is poeti- cally described by Mr. Gay, 1 shall give it hiia in that dress. Mark well the various seasons of the vear, How the succeeding insect race appear ; In this revolving moon one colour reigns, Which ill tiie next the fickle trout dibdains. Oft have I seen a skilful angler try The various colours of the treach'rous flv: When he with fruitless pain hath skini'd ihe brook, And the coy lish rijects the skipping hook, He shakes the boughs, that on tlie marL-in grow, Which o'er the strtani a weaving forest ilirow ; When if an insect fall (his certain guide) He gently lakes him from the whirling tide: Examines well his form witli curious eyes, His gaudy vest, his wings, his horns, and size; Then round his hook the chosen fur he winds, And on the back a speckled feather binds ; So just the colours shine through ev'ry part, That Nature s-eems to live again in art., THE BEST METHOD TO MAKE AN ARTIFICIAL FLY, NOT A PALMER. First hold your hook fast hetwixt the fore finger and thumb of your left hand, with the L 2 ]1'2 best's art of angling back of the shank upwards, and the point towards your right hand; then take a strong small silk, of' the colour most predominant in the fly you intend to make, wax it well with wax of the same colour and draw it between vour finaer and thumb to the head of the shank, then whip it twice or thrice about the bare hook, which prevents its slipping, and the shank of the hook from cutting the gut: which being done take your gut and draw it likewise between your finger and thumb, holdini>; the hook so fast as only to suffer it to ]:)ass by, till the end of the gut is near the middle of the shank of the hook, on the inside of it; then whip tlxi silk twice or thrice about both gut and hook, as hard as the strengthi of the silk will permit; after that take tbe wings, which before you began to make your By you liad stripped off the stem for its wings, and pioporiional to it, and which lie with your other materials by you, (as they always should before you begin) and place that side downwards which grew uppermost before, upon the back of the hook, leaving so much only, to serve for the length of the wings of the point of the plume, laying it reversed from the end of the shank upwards, then whip your silk twice or thrice about the root-end of the feather, gut, and hook ; which being done, clip off the root-end of the featlier close by the arming, and then whip the silk fast and firm about the hook and gut till you come to the bend of it; and then, if the gut goes beyond the bend of the hook, cut it oft", and make all fast : take then the dubbing which is to make the body of your fly, as much as you think will do, and holding it lightly with your book, between the finger and thumb of your left hand^ take the silk with your right hand, ARTIl-lCIAL FLY. 113 and twisting it between the finger and thumb of that hand, the dubbing will spin itself" about the silk, which, when it has done, whip it about the armed hook, till you come to the setting on of thewini^s: afterwards take the feather for the wings, divide it into two equal parts, and turn them back towards the bend of the hook, the one on the one side, th^ other on the other side of the shank, holding them fast in that posture, between the fore Hngcr and thumb of your left hand ; which being done, warp them so down as to stand, and slope towards the bend of the hook ; and having warped up to the end of the shaPik, hold the fly fast between the finger and thinnb of your left hand, and then take the silk between those of your right, and where the warping ends, and pinch and nip it with your thuinb-nail against your Hnger, and strif) away^ the remainder of your dubbing j'rom the silk, wlilch wax ai::ain, and then with ihesiJk which is newly waxed and b-iiv. whip it once or twice about, make the wings stand properly, tiieii fasten aiui cut it off: after which, with the point of a needle, raise up the dubbing gently from the warp, twiU'h off the superfluous hairs of your dubbing, leave the winas of an equal length, (or your fly- will never swin true) and tha Avhole is c()m[)leted. In this mjnincr you are to make the May-fly or gjeen-dritke, and all other flits that are not palmers; the materials to make the green-drake are the foUowiuii: : Your hook must be JNo.5, and you must have the white-grey feather of a mallard for the wings, dyed yellow ; the dubbing Ciiniel's hair, bright bear's hair, yellow camlet, ajul the soft down that is combed from the bris- tlcj of a hou', well mixed together ; the body l3 114 best's art of angling. must be long, and ribbed about with green silk, or rather yellow^, waxed with green wax, and three long hairs for his tail, from those off a sable's. Or, the Maif-flij maybe dubbed after this me- thod. The body of seal's fur, or yellow mohair, a little fox-cub down, and hog's down, or light brown from a turkey carpet, mixed together, warp with green and yellow, pale yellow, or red cock's hackle under the wings, which are to be the same as in the other method of dubbing it. As 1 shall not mention the z^'een-drcike\\\\^w I come to describe otlier flies taken in the month of May, I will here give you every particular concerning it. He comes on the zoattr the liven- tieth of that month, and is taken all day long, but best from two to four in the evening, and kills most psh from the end of May to the ninth of June. now TO BYE TUB MALLARD S FEATHER YELLO W. Take the root of a Harbary tree, and shave it, and put to it xioodij viss, with as much alum as a walnut, and boil your feathers, in it with rain water, and they will be of a fine yellow: or ^ei a httle 7i^eld and rocou, and boil your feathers with tlxeni, and it will answer the. same purpose. THE PALMEUS. l'^ CHAP. HI. The Names f cnid the best Manner of duhhing the difl'erent jirtificial Flies, wkick are (general/ 1/ knozcn, and will hill Jishes on uni/ Water ^ from the beginning of MarcJi to the end of September. I SHALL begin fly-fisbiiig with tiie month of March, that being soon enough t'o throw a fly on the water; nay, in some years is too soon, owing to the backwarchiess of tlie season. The inclemency of the weather, before that time, ren- ders the attempt not only unpleasant, but fruit- less, to erideavour to take dshes with the fly; and the risk a man runs of impairing his health, standing by the water-side before the weather is mild and temperate, forms an objection more stronjilv acrainst it. Let the ani^rler be ever so fond of fly-Hshing he will certainly liave enough, perhaps a satiety between the months of March and JSeptember; besides the mind of man is fond ojf" variety, and the amusements of the iicld very pleasant and conducive to health ; for 1 myself am entirely of Terence's opinion, that J d prime in vita esse utile, ut nequid nimis, MARCH. TJ/E PALMERS, 1. The Dark Broun. 2. The Green IVIiirliug Dun. 3. Tht Earlij Bright Byoun, 4. The Thorn, or Haix thorn Trte-Jlj/, 5. The Blue Dun. 6. The LiitU B/iick Gnat. 7.. The lutcBriglit Broun, IK) liliSr's AKT OF ANGLING. 1. Dubbed with the brown hair off the shank of a brinded cow, and the grey. feather of a drake for wings. 2. Dubbed with. the fur from tlie bottom of a s<:juurers tail, and the wings of the grey feather of a (h'ake. Or, dubbed wiih squirrel's fur, mixed with about a sixth part of Hue hoik's down, the wings ot a piue orange colour, taken from the quill feather ofiia ruddy hen, the head to be fastened with ash-coloured silk, and a red un- barbed cock's liackle may be warped under tlie ^^'inc:s, and a turn or two lower towards his tail. This is a venj kii/ingjh/, andis iaktn b,est late in the evening of a bluUtring warm day. 3. Dubbed with the brown hair off a spaniel, taken from behind the ear, or with that oifa red cow's iiank ; the wings, the grey feather off a wild drake. 4. Dubbed with seal's fur, dyed a perfect black, mixed with a little hab el let -colour it A mohair, the body made small^ and the wings off a bright mallard's feather. A killingjlj/. 5. Dubbed with the down combed from the neck of a blacjv greyhound, or the roots of a fox-cub's tail, mixed with a little blue violet worsted, upon a hook, the size No. 9- the wings off the pale part of a starling's feather. 1'his fiy is a killing fly ^ and is takenfrom eight to eleven, and from one to three. 6. Dubbed with black mohair, upon a hook the size No. 9- and the wing's the lightest part off a starling's feather. 7. Dubbed with the hair off a cow, or calfs Hide, which has been dressed in a skinner's lime- pit; if you held it between your eyes and the sun, it will appear of a bright gold, or amber co- lour; the wings off a feather of a brown hen. THE TALMERS, 117 APRIL. PJLMEliS. ng 4. The Yclhw Dun. 5. The liurse-Jksh Fly, 6. The Small Bright Brown. 1. The Dark Br oxen, 2. The Violet Fli/. 3. The Little lVhirVne made very small, but exactly in the 18. Little Ant Fly. 19. Badger Fly, 20. Fern Fly. 2 1 . Stone Fly. N. B. There are two Sahnon-flies, which are the principal ones, called the Di'agon and King's- fsher, about two inches long, which may be 'made according to fancy; but of the most gaudy feathers there are, especially the pea- cock's, for they will rise at any thing gaudy, and where they are plenty at Troiu-flics. There are likewise two moths wiiich I have omitted, great killers about twilight in a serene evening; and the hnniliie-bee, a famous chub- killer, any time of the day. They are dubbed in tiie following manner : The brozcm-moth — the wings off the feather of a brown owl; dubbed with light mohair, with a dark grizzle cock's hackle for the legs; and a red-head. The zohite-7/toth —diihhed with the white strands of an ostrich's feather; wings off the T HE Will T L xM U T H . 125 feather of a, while pigeon's wing: a white- hackle for I he le^s, and a blaciv head. The hooks for both, No. 2. Tlie humble-hee — dubbed with black spaniel's fur; a black cock's hackle over that; the tag of the tail to be of a deep orange colour: cUid the wiijgs off the feather oi a crow's whig. The kook, No. £. Wlicn arlfiil flies the angler wouM prepare, Ihis task of" all deserves liis utmost cure: Kor vcr.>e or prose cjui ever teacii hi/ii well What (uasters only know, and praciite tell. Yet lulls at large I venture to siippoit, Nalnro best folio \v\i, best secures the sport. Ot li.cs ti:e kinds, their season'^, and then" breed, 'I iieir shapes, their hue, with nice observance heed : Which most the JVout admires, and where obtain'd,. Experience best will teach you, or some friend ; For several kmds musr ev'ry month supply, So great's his passion lor variety ! Nay, if new species, on the streams you fnid, Try — you'll- acknow-ltdge fortune amply kind. Mo^ES- Bkov/n.e.- CHAP. IV. ^"f^HE list of flics which I have given the jL angl'. r, he may depend are the standard for anificial lly-fishing; but as I am- willing to give hi'n as much scope as possible, to enable him to become an adept in ihis pl^-asant and Higenioais recreaiion, i here present Kim with a becoiid list, which he musi make use of a-* his- ex[)eiience in artilicial tly-lishiiig increases ; and i dare ailirm, that it he makes a judicious application of this and the former list, and ob- serves tlie rules laid down for the weaSier^ pr-o- 126 best's art of angling per for this sport, be will never go home with an empty pannier. THE RED FLY* Comes on about the midclle of February, and continues till the end of March : its wings are made artificially, of a dark drake's feather; the body of the red part of squirrel's fur, with the red hackle of a cock, wrapped twice or thrice under the but of the wing ; has four wings, and generally flutters upon the surface of the water, whicii tempts the fishes, and makes them take it the moie eager. The size ef the hook, No. 6. THE BLUE DUN FLY. Comes on the beginning of March, and con- tinues till the middle of April ; its wings are made of a feather out of the starling's wing, or the blue feathers that orow under the w^ins: of a duck widgeon; the body is made of the blue fur off a ^oii., or the blue part of a squirrel's fur, mixed with a little vellow mohair, and a fine- blue cock's hackle wrapped over the body, in. imitation of the legs : as it swims down the ■water, its wings stand upright on its back; its tail forked, and of the same color of its wings. It appears on the watev about ten o'clock in the forenoon, and continues till about three in the afternoon; but the principal time of the day is from twelve till two : the flies then come down in great quantities, and are always more plentiful in dark, cold, gloomy days, than in bright sun-shiny weather. Your mornivii^^s fish- ing'! till the fiici come oUj should be with the worm THE BROWN FLY, &C. 127 or miimow ; the size of the hook thisfn/ is made on, is Mo 7 ; Out if the water is very lozo and fine^ No. 8. THE BROWN rLYf OR DUN DRJKE.. Comes on about the middle of March, and conthiues till the latter end oT April; its wings are made off the feather of a pheasant's wing which is full oF line sliade, and exactly rescm- bles the wing of the fly; the body is^ made of the bright part of hare's fur, mixed with a little of the red part of scjnirrel's fur, ribbed with yellow silk, and a partridge's hackle wrapt over twice or tiirice under the but of tiie wing: as it swims down tlie water, its wings stand upright ujjon its back, its tail is forked, and the color of its wings : it comes upon the water about eleven o'clock, and continues on till two, appearing on the water in shoals, or great quantities ; in dark gloomy days, at the ap- proach of the least gleam of sun, it is amazing to see, in a moment's time, the suri'ace of the water almost covered witii ten thousands of these pretty little fiying insects, and the fishes rising and sporting at them, insomuch that you would think the whole river was alive ; it is a [)leasing sight to the angler, and affords him great diversion ; in this manner tliey appear on the water every successive day, till the end of their duration. The blue dun,, and the brown, are both on at the same time; the^ blues are most plentiful in cold and dark days, and the browns in warm and gloomy days ; though 1 have often seen blues, browns, and granams, on at the same lime, when they have refused the other two sorts, and have taken the browns 12S BE St's a H r O F A N (. LT N G . only : there cannot be too iiiucli SciiH in coni- menclation of this l\y, bo'.b for its duration, and the snort it aiTords the angler : The size of the hook it ib made 0)1, in No. 6. THE GRANy/3I FLY, OR GREEN-TAIL. Conies on about the beginning of April, if the weather is warm, being a ver}? tender fly, and cannot endure the cold. When they first appear on th.e water, they do so in great quan- tities, in bright mornings; you may begin to. fish with them from six o'clock in the morning till eleven ;. then you WiU iSnd the browns come on, which you must use, as the tish wiil not touch the granams as long as the browns com- tinue ; about five o'clock in the evening you- may use the granams again with success, the browns having then totally disappeared for tiiat day. The granam-fly is a four v^inged fly: as it s\vims down the water its wings lie flat on its back, it has a small bunch of eggs, of a green colour, v,diich gives it the name of the G) ten-fail Jiy ', as soon as it lights on tlie water, it drops its eggs; it is of short duration, not lasting above a \xeek, and then totally disappears for that year. The wings are made from a feather out of the wing of a partridge or pheasant,, which is shaded like the wing of the fly ; the body is made of the fur from a hare's face, or ear," and a grizzled hackle of a cock wrapt under the but of the wings. The hook. No. 8. THE SPIBER FLY Comes on about the twentieth of April, if the weather is warm^ and coiitiiiues on about BLACK rATF.RPlLLAR, SCC. 12C> a fortnight: they are bred in beds of gravel by the water-side, where you mav find them in bunches engendering, to prepare for their pro- duction the next year: in cold and stormy d^nys they hide themselves in the gravel, not being able to endure cold. You may fish with it from sun-rise till sun-set; being a very kill- ing fly, too much cannot be said in its praise. The wings are made from a woodcock's feather, out of the but of the wing ; the body of lead- coloured silk, with a black cock's hackle wrapt twice or thrice under the wings. This Jii/ can- not be made too fi)ie. The hook, No. S. or 9. THE BLACK CATERPILLAR, Comes on about the beginning of May, and continues on about a fortnight, and is to be fished with after hot suii-shiny mornings ; if winds and clouds appear, they then grow weak for want of the sun, and fall upon the waters in great quantities. The wings are made from a feather out of a jay's wing, the body of an ostrich's feather, which is preferable to the plover's, and fine black cock's hackle wrapt over the body. // is a very hU'ingjiij in small brooks. The hookj No. 7. ' THE LITTLE IRON-BLUE FLV. Comes on about the seventh of May, and continues on till the middle of June. In cold stormy days they come down the waters in great quantities, but in warm days there are but few to be seen. As it swims down the water, its wings stand u|)right on its back ; its tail is forked, and tlie colour of its wings : it is a neat 130 best's art of angling, corious fly, and cannot be made too fine; it is. to be fisbed witb from about eleven o'clock iu the forenoon till tbree in tbe afternoon. Wben these tiies are on» the fishes refuse every other «ort, and take these only, ever}' sort of fish being fond of them. The wings are made from a cormorant's feather that grows under the wing, or off the feather of a dark blue -hen, tiiat grows on the body, under the wings ; the body is made of water-rats fur, ribbed with velloW' silk, and a sooty blue hackle of a cock, wrapt ''over the body. The hook. No. 8 or 9. THE YELLOW SALLY FLY. Comes on about the twentieth of May, and continues on till about the tenth or twelfth of June. It is a four-winged fly; as it swims down the water its wings lie flat on its back. The wings are made with a yellow cock's hackle, and the body of martin's fur, taken from the spots under the jaws, which is a fine yellow. It is one of those faes iliat prepare the Jish to lookfortheJsiay-JiifyOr Green-drake. The hook, No. 7. THE OAK, A$Hj 1V00DC0CK, CANNON, OR DOWN-HILL'FLY. Comes on about the sixteenth of May, and continues on till about a week in Juiie ; it is to be found on the buts of trees, with its head al- ways downwards, which gives it the name of the Down-hill-fly.* It is bred in ouk-af^ples, * Vide description of this fly, part 1st, uiulei: Kataral FJy- fisliiitg. THE SHORN rLY, SCC. 131 and is the best of all flies for bobbing at the bush in the natural way, and a good fly for the dab-line, when made artifieially. The wings are made fioni a feailier out of the wing of a partridge or woodcoek, the body with a hiuern's feather, and the head with a little of the brown part of hare's fur. The hook, No. 7. N.B. Some dub it with black wool and Tsa- bella-coloured mohair, and bii^l)t brownish bear's hair, warped on witii yellow silk, but the head of an ash colour; others dub it vvitfi an orange tawney and black ground ; and others vv'ith blackish wool and god twist ; the wings oflf the brown part of a mallard's feather. TI/E S/rORJV FLY. Comes on about the same time as the Cannon- fly, and continues on till the latter end of July. 'J'hcy are generally found in mowing grass ; it is of the caterpillar kind, has dusky wings of a dark brown colour, with line clear blue wings under them, which it makes use of in itsflio^ht : It is in greatest perfection in June : and lor the time tliat it continues on the water, is a most excellent killer in rivers or brooks. There are three sorts of them ; the one 1 have described : there is another with a dull red winc): : and a third with a dark blue wing, all of which the fish take ver^' well, but the preference, must be given to the red sort : it is to be flshed with any time of the day, from sun-rise to sun-set. The wings are made of a red cock's hackle, with a black list up the middle; the body with a peacock's herl. The hook, iSo. 6, ijjor a river ^ 132 best's art of angling. hut 4f for a dead, lieavi/, running brook, the fly must be made lars:er, as on No. 4 or 5. THE ORL FLY. Comes on th.e latter end of May^ and con- jfinues on tiil the latter end of June. It is a four-win2,ed f]v, sreiierallv flutters alone^ the surface of the water, and is what rishes are remarkably fond of; you may fish for it suc- t^essfally after the Mav-fiv is s:one, from four o'clock in the morning, till about seven in the evening, at which time the sky-bhie comes on, then change it for the sky-blue. The wings of the Orl-fly are made with a dark grizzle cock's hackle, and the body of peacock's herl^ worked with dark red silk. The hook, No. 6. THE SKY-COLOURED BLUE. Comes on about the same time as the orl- fly, and continues on till the middle of July. It is a neat, curious, and beautiful fly ; its wings are transparent, stand upright upon its back^ and are of a line blue colour, its body is of a pale yellow, its tail forked, and tlie colour of its wings ; it is a fly the fishes take extremely well from seven o'clock in the evening till sun- set. The WMugs are made from the light blue feather of a hen; the body is made with pale yellow mohair, mixed with light blue fur, and ribbed with a fine cock's hackle, dyed yellow. The hook, No. 8. THE CADISS'FLY, Comes on about the tenth of June ; it is a large THE BLUE GNAi-, &C. 133 four-winged i^y, of a buff colour, and its body the same colour of it^ wings: it continues on the water till about the middle of July ; it is bred from the cod- bait, a curious little insect : while in the state of a grub it is greatly to be admired, the outside husk that it lives in, being curiously wrought with gravel or sand: this Sy is taken best at the clearing of the water, though I think him a fly worth the least notice of any in the catalogue, there being many sorts far prei'erable to it. Tlie wings are made from a feather taken from a buff-coloured hen ; the body is made of buff-coloured mohair, tmd the legs of a pale yel- low hackle. The hook, No. G. THE BLUE GNAT. Comes on the water about the same time as the spinners (vide list the first under June) and continues on about a fortnight: if the water is low and fine the fishes take them very well, and as long as they remain on the water. The wings of this gnat are made of a small pale blue cock's hackle, and the body with light blue fur, mixed with a little yellow mohair. The hook, No. 8 or 9. THE LARGE RED ANT-FLY. Comes on about the middle of June, if hot and sultry v^eather, and continues on until about the 15 ih or l6th of July, appearing mostly in hot, close, gloomy days : it is to be tislied with from about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, till ahout six in the evening ; then make use of the evenirigjiies described before. The ant-flics, when in perfection, are great killers, and all soils N 13i BEST S ART OF ANGLING. of fishes that rise at flies, are very fond of them; and you may take fish with ihem in dead heavy Avaters, as well as in streams. The wings of this fl}- are made from a feather out of a stare's wing, and the body of peacock's herl, made pretty large at the tail, and fine toward^ the wing, with a fine ginger-coloured cock's hackle wrapt twice or thrice under the but of the v^ings. The hook, No. 8. TA^E LARGE BLACK ANT-FLY. Comes on at the same time with the red, and is to be fished with at the same time, and after the same manner. The w'ings of this ^y are made with the lightest sky-blue feather you can get, and with the greatest gloss ; but it is diffi- cult to find any that can come up to the glossi- ness of the natural wings, except the thistle, Avhich makes them the best of any thing I know of, but is notlasting; the body is made with ablack ostrich's feather, and ablack cock's hackle wrapt luider the but of the wings ; it is to be made in the same form as the red one. 2 he hook, No. 8. THE WELSH man's BUTTON, OR II AZLE FLY. Comes on about the latter end of JhIv, and continues on about nine days ; it is in form like a round button, from which it derives its name : it has four wings, the uppermost husky and hard, the undermost of a fine blue colour, soft and transparent; it is to be found on hazle- trees, or fern: it is an excellent fly for bobbing at the bush, or dub line ; but is rather difficult to make, on account of its shape and form ; the wings are made from the red feather that grows upon the THE LITTLE WIlillllNG BLUE, &C. i35 rump or tail of a partridge ; the body is made witii a peacock's herl, and aa ostrich's feather mixed, and the legs of a fine black cock'shackle. The hook, No. 7. THE LITTLE RED' AND BLACK ANT-FLIES. Come on about the tenth or twelfth of Au- gust, are to be seen in warm gloomy days, till the latter end of September; to bo fished with from about twelve o'clock, till four in tlie evening, and are to be made in the same form as tlie large ones, and with the same materials, but very small. The hook, No. 9. THE LITTLE Jfl/IRLING BLUE. Comes on about the tenth or twelfth of Au- gust, and continues on about three weeks; as it swims down the water, its wings stand u[)rigfit on its back ; it has a forked tail, the colour of its wings ; it is to be fished with frojn eleven o'clock in the forenoon, till three in the afternoon. The wings are made from a feather out of the wings of a starling ; the body is made with spaniel's fur, mixed with a little yellow, and a fine red hackle over the body. I'he kookj No. 8. THE LITTLE PALE BLUE. Comes on about the same time as the Whirl- ing blue, and continues on till about the latter end of September ; as it swims down the water, its wings stand upriglit on its back ; it has a forked tail, and the color of its wings: it is a neat, curious, little fly, and what the graylings NT o 136 best's art of angling. - - - -— ■■---■ ~ ■ I ■! ■! II III !■ - -~ |- are very fond of-: it is to be tished with from about ten o'clock in the morning, till three in the afternoon, and generally' affords the angler great diversion. The wings are made from a ieather otTthe sea-swallow : the body is made of the lightest blue fur you can gcr, mixed v='ith a very little 3'eliow mohair, with a fine pale blue hackle wrapt over the body. The hook, No. S. TUB WILLOW^ FLY. Comes on about the beginning of September, and continues on till the latter end of October : it is a four-winged fly, and generally flutters upon the surface of the water : it is to be fished with in cold stormy dajs, being then most plentiful on the water ; but in warm gloomy days make use of the pale-blue. The wings are made of a blue grizzled cock's hackle, and the body of the blue part of squirrel's fur, mixed with a little v;pire«, E,esounds the living surface of the ground ; Norundclifjlufiil is the ceaseless hum To him who muses through the v/oods at noon, Or drowsy sheplierd as he lies reclin'd. With hall-shut eyes beneath the floating shade Of willows grey, close crowding o'er the brook. Gradual from these what numerous kinds desccnd,^ Evading e'en die microscopic eye ! Full nuiure swarms with iife, one wondrous mass Of anm)ai3, or atoms organiz'd. Waiting '^he vital breath, when parent heav'n Shall bid his spirit i)Io\v, ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISKING. 139 Let no presuming impious railer tax Creative wisdom, as if aughl was form'd In vain, or not lor admirable ends : Shall little haughtv i2:nurance pronounce His works unwise, of which the smallest part Exceeds the narrow vision of her mind ? CHAP. V. The best Rules for Aitijicial Fly-Jishing. IT is the best fishing in a river somewhat disturbed with rain, or in a cloudy day, when the waters are moved with a gentle breeze : the south and west winds are the best : and if the wind blows high, yet not so but that you may conveniently guide your tackle, the fishes will rise in the still deeps; but if there is little wind stirrng, the best angling is in swift streams. In casting your line do it always before you, and in such a manner that the fly may fall first on the water, and as little of vour hne with it as possible, but if the wind is high, you will then be forced to drown a good part of it, that you may keep the fly on the water; and endea- vour, as much as you can, to liave the wind at your back, and the sun in your face; but the winding of the river wdll frequently render that impracticable. When you throw your line, wave the rod in a small circumference round your head and never make a return ot it before it has had its full scope, for if you do the fly Wiil snap ofl'. Ahliough when you angle the day is cloudy and ^^indy, and the water thick, you must keep the fly in continual motion, otherwise the fishes ■will discern the deceit. 149 bp:st's art of angling. " Upon the curliiig surface, let it glide, " With nat'ral motion from your hand supply 'd, " Against the stream now gently let it play, " Now in the rapid eddy float away." Let the line be twice as long as the rod, unless the river is encumbered with wood: and alwa3^s stand as far off the bank as the lenc-th oK vour line will permit, when you cast the fly to the contrary side; but if the wind blows so that 3'ou must throw your line on the same side you [me on, stand on the very brink of the river, and cast your fly at the utmost length of the rod and line, up or down the stream as the wind serves. You must have a quick sharp eye, and active hand, to strike directly a fish rises: or else find- in 2: the mistake he will throw out the hook. Small light-coloured /^/es are for clear waters and clear atmospheres, large dark-coloured yfc when vice vena. When after rain the water becomes brownish, an orange-coloured ^y is taken greedily. When fishes rise at the fiy^ very often and yet never take it, you may conclude that it is not what they like: therefore change it for the one they do. When you see a fish rise, throw your fly over him, and draw it gently over the place where he rose; and if it is a proper fl}^ for the season, and you cast it with a nicety the fish is your own» When you angle in slow-running rivers, or still places, with an artificial //^, cast it across the water, and let it sink a little in the water, and- then draw it gently over to you again, letting the current carry it slowly down: this is the best way for slow waters; but for quick ones your fly must always swim on the top, under the:. ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. 141 continual inspection of 3'our eyes, which ought, for this kind of angling, to be as sharp as the basilisk's. It is a good yjlan to always carry some dub- bing, gut, hooks, and silk, out with you in a small pocket book, that you may be able always to imitate any fly you see the fish rise at more than others. The lighter your flies fall on the water the bet- ter ; this you will not accomplish by strength, but by practice, always raising your rod by degrees, after you have made your cast. A young angler should never use more than one fly on the stretcher at first, but when he can th?vw out pretty well, he may add to the stretcher one or more droppers, observing always to let them be one yard asunder. I shall now conclude these rules by giving the reader a passage relating to artificial Jiij JisLingy (with the alteration only of two or three monosyl- lables) from the Spring of that elegant and natural descriptive poet, M.x. Thomson, which cannot fail of contributing as well to his amusement, a$ instruction: Soon as the first foul torrent of the brooks, Swell'd with the vernal rains, is ebb'd away, And, whit'ning, down their mossy linctur'd stream Descends the iTillowy foam, then is the time. While yd the dark-brown water aids the guile. To tempt the trout. The weli-dissembl'd tiy, To rod tine tap'ring, with elastic spring, Snatca'd from the hoary steed the floating line. And all tiiy sloiider wat'ry stores prepare; But let not on thy hook the lortur'd worm, Convulsive t\Nist in agonizing folds, Which, by rapacious hunger swallowed deep. Gives, as you tear it from the bleeding breast 01 the weak helpless uncomplaining Nvretcb, 14£ PESTS ART OF ANGLING Plarsh p.'.iij and hoiror to the tender hand. When with his lively ray the potent sun Has pierced ti)o streams, and rous'd the finny racc^ Then, issuing cheerful to thy sport repair; Ghiel siiould the western breezes curling play, And light o'er ether bear the shadowy clouds. High to their ibunt, this day, amid tlfe hills And woodlands warbling round, trace up the brooks; Then next pursue their rocky channel'd maze Down to the river in whose ample wave Their little naiads love to sport at large. Just in the dubious point,- where with the pool Is mix'd the trembling stream, ,or where it boils Around the stone, or from the hollow bank Reverted plays in undulating tiow, There throw, nice judging, the delusive fly, , And as you lead it round'in artful curve, With eye attentive mark the springing game; Straight as above the surface of the flood They wanton rise, or urged by hunger leap, Then fix with geiitle twitch the barbed hook; Some lightly tossing to the grassy bank. And to the shelving shore slow dragging some, With various hand, proportion'd to their force. If yet too young, and easily deceived, A worthless prey scarce bends your pliant rod, Him piteous of his youth, and the short space He has enjoy'd the vital light of heav'n, Soft disengage, and back into the stream The speckled captive throw ; but should you lure From his dark haunt, beneath the tangled roots Of pendent trees, the monarch of the brook, Behoves you l^hen to ply your finest art: Long time he, following cautious, scans the fly, And oft attempts to seize it, but as oft The dimpl'd water speaks his jealous fear: At last, while haply over the shaded sun Passes a cloud, he desperate takes the death With sullen plunge: at once he darts along. Deep struck, and runs out all the lengthen'd line, Then seeks the farthest ooze, the sheltering weed, The cavern'd bank, his old secure abode; And flies aloft, and flounces round the pool, Indignant of the guile. With yielding hand, . That feels him still, yet to his furious course PRINCIPAL KIVERS IN K^GLAND. 143 Gives way, y ,a, now retiring, following now Across the stream, exhai-«s?t his idle rage. Till floating broad upon his breathless side, ' And to his fate abandon'd, to the shore You gailj drag your unresisting prize. CHAP. VI. i< '^ Of the principal Rivers in England^ and parli- cularhj of tlie Thames. THE rivers in England are said by Dr. Heij^ lin, to be three hundred and twenty-five, though others increase their number to four hundred and fifty. It would be superfluous here to treat particularly of tlicir diversities, their situations, their distance and remoteness from each otiier, their nearness or vicinity to the sea, the qualities of their water, and the various species of fish they contain. Those that have a more immediate intercourse with the sea, partake of its influences, and have the same vicissitudes, the same fluxes and refluxes, the same salt water, and the same sort of fish which frequent those seas where they disembogue themselves. The mouth of rivers ai'e too deep to be fathomed by the cordage of a line; but more inland and far- ther distant from the common receptacle of waters, the rivers are most proper for the angler's diversion. The principal rivers in England, are the Thames, .Severn, Trent, Tyne, Tweed, INledway, Tees, Dove, I sis, Tame, Willey, Avon, Lea, * The angler must observe, that the names of Wye, Avon, Ousc, Stone, and some otlicis, are eommou to many rivers id England, as thut uf Dulas is to uumbtisin Wales. 144 best's art of angling. Trevel, Lon, Ncn, WellancV Darvent, Calder, Wharf, Nidj Don, Swale, Hull, Ouse, and Are. The rivers in Wales are reckoned above two hundred, the principal of which are the Dee, Wye, Conwy, Tivy, Chediayday, Cluid, Usk, Tovy, Taff, and Dovy. Several rivers in Eng- land run under ground and then rise again, as a branch of the Medway in Kent; the Mole in Surry; Hans in Staffordshire; the little rivers Allen in Denbighshire, and Deverelin Wiltshire ; the river Recall hides itself under ground, near Elmsley in the North-Riding of Yorkshire; at Ashweli in Bedfordshire, rise so many sources of springs that they soon drive a mill ; at Ched- der, near Axbridge in Somersetshire, is a spring that drives twelve mills in a quarter of a mile. In the midst of the river Nen, south of Peter- borough in Northamptonshire, is a deep gulf, called Medeswell, so cold, that in summer no swimmer is able to endure it, yet is not frozen in the winter. I shall now give the angler the names of the rivers in our Counties. Bedfordshire. The Ouse navigable to Bed- ford, and divides the county into two parts; the Ivcl, Tica, and other smaller streams. Berkshire. The Thames, Isis, Kennet, Lod- don, and the Lambourne; the latter, contrary to all others, is always the highest in summer, and lowest when winter approaches. Buckinghamshire. The Thames, Ouse, Coin, Wickam, Amersham, Isis, Tame, and Loddon. Cambridgeshire. The Ouse, Cam, Welney, and Neve. Cheshire. Principal rivers ; the Mersey, Dee, Weeiock, Croke; Dan, Fulbrook, Wever, Goyte Boiling, and Km gay. PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 145 Cornwall. The Tamer, Cober, Loo, Camel, L^^dd, Fowey, Haile, and Liver. Cumberland. Principal rivers; the Eden, Ain, Jet, Petterel, Cande, Derwent, Cocker, Diiddon, Levin, Esk, Wiza, and Tyne. Derbyshire. Principal rivers ; the Derwent, Trent, Wye, Erish, Crawlock, Dove, Compton, R other, Ibber, and Nore. Devonshire. The Tame, Exe, Piym, Tor- ride, T^w, Yalm, Otter, Oke, Dart, Tavy, Aven, Erme, Calnie, Teigne, Ax and Loman. ' Dorsetshire. The most considerable rivers are the Froom, Brit, Piddle, Stour, and Liddon. Durham. The principal rivers are tlie Tees, Tyne, Were, Tame, Lune, Derwent, Gaunless, and Skern. Essex. The principal rivers are the Thames, Black Water, Stour, Coin, Lea, Crouch, Chel- mer, and Roding. Gloccstershire. The Severn, Wj-e, Coin, Chein, Stroud, eminent lor dying scarlet; Isis, Avons, Fromes, Siviliate, Caron, Windiush, Evondole, Leden, Lathe, Isbourne, Chilt, Badg-' worth, Evelm, Jierklc}", and Trim. Hampshire. Its principal rivers are the Ithing, or Aire, the Tees, or Test, Anton, Avon, Stour, Wey, Loddon and A u born. Herefordshire. Its rivers are the Wye, Lugg, Munnow, Arrow, Frome, Doir, Leddon and Tame. Hertfordshire. The ])rincipal rivers are the Sea, Coin, Stort, Gade, iiean, Tame, Ribb, and the Nev/ River, which supplies London with \yater. Huntingdonshire. The principal rivers are the Ouse, J^en, and Cam, with some smaller streami. o 146 best's art of angling Kent. Its rivers are the Thames^ Medway, Stour, Rother, Darent, Tun, KavensbournCj and Wantshcim. Lancashire. Its principal rivers are the Dud- don, Crake, Leven, Winster, Lon or Lune, Wyer, Calder, Hodder, Wenning, Ribble^ Douglass, Yarrow, Darent, Treveil, Koch, Alt, Tame, Medlock, and Irk. Leicestershire. Its chief rivers are the Stour, Welland, Wreck, Avon, Anger, Swift, Seme, and the Eye. Lincolnshire. The principal rivers are the Humber, Trent, Witham, Welland, Ancani, Bane, "Nen, Dun and Idle. Middlesex. The Thames, Lea, Coin, Brent, and the New River. Monmouthshire. The principal rivers are the Severn, Monow, Wye, Usk, Rimney, and Avon. Norfolk. The rivers are the greater and les- ser Ouse, Wesbech, the Yore, Waveney, Wen- sor, Thyrn, Lynn, and some lesser streams. Northamptonshire. The principal rivers are the Ouse, Nen, Welland, Chenvill, and the Learn . Northumberland. Its rivers are the Tweed, Tyne, North and South Tyne, Alne, Wensbech, Coquet, Bramibh, Usvvay, Biythe, Till, East and West Alon. Nottinghamshire. The principal rivers are the Trent, Lyn, Ryton, Leane, Idle, Erwash, Mcden and Maun. Oxfordshire, Its principal rivers are the Thames, Cherwell, Isis, Tame, Swcre, Clin Reft, Oke, Windrash, Evanlode and Sorbrook. Rutland. The rivers are the Gnash, Eye, Chater, and Welland. PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 147 Shropshire. The principal rivers are the Tweed, Severn, Teom, Chm, Ony, Warren, Tern, Corve, Rea, Kcmlot, and Mclo. Somersetshire. Its principal rivers are the Severn, Ivi), Avon, Ax, Car, Exe, Fromc, Brent, Parret, Brue, and Tone. Staffordshire. Its principal rivers are the Trent, Manyfold, Chernet, Lime, Penk, Stove, Tern, Dove, Boine, Sow, Blith, Team, and Smes- tall, with very extensive navigahle canals. Suffolk. The principal rivers are the Stour, Bret, Larke, Little Ousc, Orwell, Deben,Biuley, Aide, Waveney, and Blyth. Surry. Its principal rivers are the Thames, Wandel, Mole, Wey, and Loddon. Sussex. The most considerable rivers are the Cockmere, Little Ouse, Rother, Adur, Rye, and Arun. Warwickshire. Its principal rivers are the Avon, Tame, Alne, Anker, and Cole. Westmoreland. The principal rivers are the Eden, Ken, Lune, Tees, Belo, Lowther^ Roatha, and Emont; besides Ulles, Broad and Horn's waterSj and that extensive piece called Wynander Meer, the largest in England, being 10 miles long, and 2 broad, with several islands in it, and its bottom one continued rock. Wiltshire. Its chief rivers are the two Avon?, the Kennet, Willey, Adder, Nadder, Duril, Were, Calne, Rey, Welleborne, and the Thames, one of whose heads is in this county. Worcestershire. The principal rivers arc the Severn, Avon, Teem, and Stour, but enjoying the benefit of some of the late constructed ca- n.ils, it has, by the inland navigation, commu- nication with the most considerable rivers in the kingdom; which navigation, including its wind. o '2 14S best's art of angling. ings, extends above 500 miles through different counties. Yorkshire. Its rivers are the Humber, Ouse, Yon re, Wharf, Swale, Tees, Nid, Calder, Aire, Iliill, Dunderwent, Eye, Whisk, Kibble, Esk, Skelier, Recall, Lime, Barnes, Went, Rother, Greta, Foidney, and Leven. North Riding of 'Yorkshire. Tlie principal rivers in this Riding are tlie Ure, Wharf, Swale, Tees, Don, Lime, Rye, Whisk, Eden, Esk, Cod- ieach, Leven, and Kecal, with the North Bank of the Derwent. East Riding of Yorkshire. The most consi- derable rivers in this division are, the Hiunber, iluil, Ouse, Derwent, and Foulness. West Riding of Yorkshire. The chief rivers are the Ure, Don, or Dune, Went, Calder, Aire, Ribble, Wharf, Dearn, Nidd,and Hodder ; with a variety of smaller streams. RIVERS IN NORTH WALES. Anglesey. The principal rivers are the Menai, and Keveny. Carnarvonshire. Its principal rivers are th€ Conway, and the Seint ; it has also several lakes, Denbighshire. Its principal rivers are the Cluyd, Dee, Conway, Alien, Keriog, Kelyn, and Eh.vy. Flintshire. The principal rivers are the Dee, Cluyd, Elwy, and Allen ; the most remarkable places are the Dee's IMouth, the Cluyd's Mouth, and St. Winifred's Well. Merionetshire. Its principal rivers are the Dee, Douay, Avon, and Deaunny. Montgomerysiiire. The most considerable rivers are the Severn, Rayder, Turgh, and Tanet, Verniew^ and some sm.aller streams. PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLANJ). 14^ THE RIVERS /iV SOUTH WJLES. Brecknockshire. Its principal rivers are the Hodney Wye, Usk, and the Yrvon. Cardiganshire. Principal rivers are the Tavy, Rhidal, and Iswith. Carmarthenshire. Its principal rivers are the Tavy, Cathy, Towy, Branc, and Gvvilly. Glamorganshire. The chief rivers are the Taff, Bhymmy, Ogmore, Avon, Ciedaiigh, and Tavy; also a warm spring called Tave's Well, and Swansea mineral spring. Pembrokeshire. Its rivers are the Clethy, Dougledye, and the Tavy, with several lesser streams. Radnorshire. The most considerable rivers are the Wye, Lug, Turne, Arrow, Somergill, Tame, and several small streams. On the Wye is a re- markable waterfall, called Rhajadi-gwy. There is also an excellent mineral spring at the village of Llandrindod. As the maps will give a better prospect of these than any enumeration of them can do, let every angler have a large one of England, or at least of the particular county where he usually angles, and therein he may with delight observe the spring head, scite distance, various passages, windings, turnings, and conlhixes of each parti- cular river, with what towns, castles, churches, gentlemen's seats, and places of note, are on or near the banks; making, as he angles, remarks proper to the nature of each. The six principal rivers are as follow : 1. The. Thames, compounded of two rivers, Tame and Isis. The Tame rises in Bucks, be- yond Tame in Oxfordshire, and the latter in Cotswold-hills, near Cirencester in Glgucest^r- O o 150 best's art of angling. shire. They meet together about Dorchester in Oxfordshire, and thence run united betwixt that county and Bucks, and between Buckingham- shire, Middlesex, and Essex, on the one side, and Surr}^ and Kent on the other, wedding itself to the Kentish Medway in the very jaws of the ocean. This river rj said to feel the violence and benefit of the sea more than any other river in Europe, ehbing and flowing twice a day, more than sixty miles. Sir John Denham has given so grand a description of the Thames, in his Cooner s-hiil, that 1 think the insertion of some part, cannot prove unacceptable to the reader : JMy eye descending from the hill, surveys "Where Thames among the wanton vaUies strays: Thames ! the most lov'd of all the oceaa'^s sons By his old Sire to his embraces runs, Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea, Like mortal life to meet eternity ; Tho' with those streams he no resemblance hold^ Whose foam is amber and their gravel gold : His genuine and less guilty wealth t' explore, Search not his bottom, but survey his shore ; O'er v/hich he kindly spreads his spacious wing, i\nd hatches plenty for the ensuijig spring;. Nor then destroys it with too fond a stay, Like mothers which their infants overlay : Nor with a sadden and impetuous wave. Like profuse kings, resuuies the wealth he gave. No unexpected inundations spoil, The mower's hopes, or mock the ploughman's toiiy But god-like his unweary'd bounty flows : First loves to do, tlu-n loves the good he does.. Nor are his blessings to his banks confin'd. But free and commoa as the L-ea or wind; When he, to boast or to di.'^perse his stores. Full of the tribute of his grateful shores. Visits the world, and in his flying tow'rs, Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours. Finds v*^ealth v/here 'tis, bestows it where il wantS;^ Citiee \n deserts, woods in cities, plants. So tiicvt to us no thing, no place, is strange. While his fair bosom is the world's exchange,. PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND. 151 \ The second river of note is the Severn, which has its beginning in PliniUnion-hill, inMontgo- Ineryshire, and its end seven miles from Bristol ; washing in that space the walls of Shrewsbury, Worcester, Gloucester, and divers other places and palaces of note. It receives greater rivers, and is farther navigable than the Thames, but does not equal it for the quantity and quality of its fish. 3. The Trent (so called on account of the thirty different kinds of fish which are found in it, or because it receives thirty small rivers) has its fountain in Staffordshire, and gliding through the counties of Nothingham, Lincoln, Leicester, and York, augments the turbulent current of the Humbcr, the most violent stream of all the isle. The Humber is not a distinct river, because it has not a spring head of its own, but is rather the mouth ox cestuaiium of divers rivers meeting together ; ainon«: which besides the Trent, are the Darvent and Ouse. 4. The Med way, a Kentish river, rises near Tun bridge, passes by Maidstone, runs by Ro- chester, and discharges itself into the mouth of the Thames, by Sheerness; a river ciiiefly remarka- ble for the dock at Chatham, where ships of the first rate are built and repaired for the use of the English navy. 5. The Tweed, the north-east boundary of England, on whose banks is seated the strong and almost impregnable town of Berwick. c3. ThcTyne, famous for Newcastle and its in- exhaustible coal-pits. These, and the rest of principal note, are thus described in one of Mr^ Drayton's sonnets ; 152 best's art of angling. 1. The flood's Qlieen Thames, for ships and swans is^ crown'd, And stately Severn for her shore is prais'd ; The chrystal Trent for fords and fish renown'd,. And Avon's fame to Albion's cliffs is rais'd :. 9. Carlegion Chester vaunts her holy Dee : York many wonders of her Ouse can tell: The Peak her Dove, v/hose banks so fertile be,. And Kent will say, her Medway doth excel.. 3: Cotswold commands her Isis to the Tame : Our northern borders boast of Tweed's fair flood':. Our western parts extol their Willy's fame, And the old Lea brags of the Danish blood. But let me return to the Thames, of which, and, the rivers that fall into it, I shall treat somewhat paiticularl}^, as they are more the seat for the diversion of angling than any others. The higher an angler goes up the 1 hames, if within about forty miles, the more sport, and the greater variety offish he will meet with; but as few Londoners goes far from home, I shall mention the best places for Thames angling from London Bridge to Chelsea. But before I proceed any farther on this sub- ject, it will be necessary to lay down some rules which the angler mu^t attend to. If the air is cold and raw, the v/ind high, the w^ater rough, or if the weather is wet, it is totally useless to ano-le in the Thames. But when the sky is serene, the air temperate;, and the water smooth success will attend you. PRINCIPAL niVERS IN ENGLAND. 153 1 he proper hours for angling, are from tlietime that tlie tide is half ebbed, to within two hours of tlie high water, provided the land floods do not come down. Always piteh your boat under the wind : that is, if the wind be in south, then keep on the Surry shore ; if north, on the London side. The be.-t places for pitching a boat to angle in the Thames, are about one hundred and fifty yards from York Stairs ; the Savoy, Somerset- house, Dorset Stairs, Black-Friar's Stairs; the Dung- Wharf near Water-Lane, Trig Stairs, and Essex Stairs. On Surry side Falcon Stairs; Barge Houses ; Cuper's, Tii/go Cupid's Stairs ; the Wind-mill and Lambeth. There are very good roach and dace to be caught at AVestminster Bridge, if the w^eather is favourable jn the Autumn; the fifth arch on the north-side is best to pitch the boat. When you go to angle at Chelsea, on a calm fair day, the wind being in a right corner, pitch your boat almost opposite to the church and angle in the six or seven feet water, where> as well as at Battersea Bridge, you will meet with plenty of roach and dace. Mortlake Deeps is the next place where roach principally resort, when the weeds are rotten ; and here are good cai'p very often taken. From the sides of tlic Aits opposite to Brent- ford, Islcworth, and Twickenham, there is very good angling for roach, dace, gudgeons and perch ; very often you will meet with trout and carp. Teddington Banks are remarkable for good gudgeon, roach, Sec. Kingston-wick and Kingston, are famous for harhcl, roach, and dace. At Hampton and Sanbury there is good ang- J54 eest's art of angling. ling for barbel, roach, dace, chub, gudgeons, and s'keggc?'s; and from the Aits, ior front and large perch. Walton Deeps and Sliepperton Pool abound with large barbel and dace. At and about Windsor is a varietv of all sorts of fish; but if a man be found angling in ano- ther's water, (without leave) he is fined very high by the court of that town, if he only catches a single gudgeon, &c. Of the rivers that empty themselves in the Thames, and of others which are not far from it, I shall begin with those on the north-side. 1. Ilford-river, the upper part of which abounds with roflc/?, Jrtce, and soine perch, but between Ilford and the Thames, especially about three miles from, the town, there is pike. 2. Woodford-river, stored with perch, chub, roach, and dace. 3. Stratford-river aflords the angler good di- version for roach, dace, chub, perch, ^'c. 4. Bow-river, having the same fishing it as the Stratford-river. 5. Hackney-river, having plenty of large 5«r- bel, chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, eels, and lampreys. In this river the barbels, tels^ and gudgeon, are very fine. The river Lea runs here, and the higher you go up it the greater sport you will have : The Rye-house, near Hoddeston (famous for the plot) is an excellent part to go for diver- sion. 6. Waliham-river, besides large barbel, chub,, roach, dace, gudgeon, and eels, has good store of fine pike, and some carp. 7. The New-ri ver, pretty well stored with chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, and eels. 8-. Brentford-river, a good one formerly, but PJ?IMC1PAL RlVEItS !N ENGLAND. 155 — ■- . • , y = now much abused by poachers \ bat the angler may meet with some ckuhy roachy dace, andperc/i. 9- ilounslow-river, vveh stored with roach, dace, perch, pike, and gudgeon. The powder-mill tail,, near Ilounslow is a very good place for angling. 10. Colne-river, abounding with chub, roach, dace, perch, and pike. 11. Uxbridge-river, excellent for its large and fat trouts; but as the water is rented, not only leave must be obtained to angle in it; but you must pay so much per pound for what you kill. L^enham, near Uxbridge, is a very famous place. Having now done with the north side^ I pro- ceed to the south of the Thames. 1. Deptford-river, now very much decayed, and has but a few fish in it, as roach, dace, and flounders ; though by chance you may meet with a trout. 2. Lewisham-river in which are some good troufs, large roach, chub, gudgeon, perch, and dace. 3. Wandsworth-river, well stored \\\i\\ gudge- ons, dace, flounders, perch, pike, and some carp and irouts; \Gry large silver ee/s are often taken there. 4. Mitcham-river; its principal fish are ^ro2//5. 6. ISIerton-river, for trouts also. G. Caishalton-river, abounding with trouts, and other white fishes. 7. Mouisey-river, yielding /if rr/^, jack, roach, dace, chub, gudgeons, eels, JloundcrSy barbels, and trouts. 8. Esher- river, good for jt/cks, perch, chub, roach, dace, gudgeons, eels, flounders, barbels, aud trouts. 9. Cobham-river; stored with plenty of good lo6 best's art of angling. troids, fat and large, as also dace, perch, chubSf Jacks, and gudgeons. 10. Weybridge-river, affording good diversion, for carp, some of which weigh eight or nine pounds; ahojackj roach , dace, flounders, popes, large bleak , barbel, and gudgeons. 11. Byfleet-river, wherein are ver}^ large pikes, jacks, and tench\ perch, of eighteen inches long; good carp, iiiYge flounders, bream, j'oach, dace, gudgeons, popes, large chub, and eels. I shall conclude this account of the Thames, and the principal rivers that fall into and compose it^ with the following beautiful lines of Mr. Pope . First the fam'd authors of his ancient name, The \vinding Isis, and the fruitful Thame ; The Kennet swift, for silver eels renown'd ; The Lodden slow, with verdant alders crov/n'd, Cole, wliGse dr^rk streams his liow'ry islands Jave; And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky wave: The blue transparent Vandalis appears; The gnlfy Lea his sedgy tresses rears ; And bullen Mole, that hides his dividing flood ; And silent Darent, stam'd with with Danish blood. , CHAP. VI L OF THE GAME LAWS RELATING TO ANGLING. \st. The Penaltij of Fishing in Ponds and other private Fisheries. 1. A NY man may erect a Rsh-pond with- j^\^ out licence, because it is a matter of profit for the increase of victuals. 2. Inst. 199' 2. If any trespassers in ponds be therefore GAME LAWS. 137 attained at the suit ot* the party, great and larq;e amends shall be awarded according to the tres- pass; and they shall have three years imprison- men-tj and after shall make fine at the king's plea- sure, (if they have whereof) and then shall find good snrety that after they shall not conmiitthe like trespass : and if they have not whereof to ijiake fine, after three years imj)risonment, they shall find like surety; and if they cannot find like surety, lliey shall abjure the realm. And if none sue vvitliin the year and day, the king shaU have suit. 3. Ed. i c.'iO. Note, those are tres- passers in ponds, who endeavour to take fish therein. 2. Inst. *200. o. If any person shall unlaw fully break, cut, or destroy, any liead or dam of a lish-[)ond, or shall wrongfully fish therein, with intent to take and kill fish, he shall on conviction, at the suit of the king, or of the party, at tlie assizes or sessions, be imprisoned three months, imd pay treble da- mages ; and after the tliree mouths is expired shall find sureties for his good abearing for seven years, or remain in prison till lie doth, 5. El, c.^1. S.2. 6. 4. Whereas divers idle, disorderly, and mean persons, betake themselves to the stealing, taking, and killini]: of fish, out of ponds, pools, motes, stews, and other several waters and rivers, to the great damage of the owners thereof ; it is en- acted that if any person sliall use any net, angle, hair, noose, trull, or spear: or shall lay any wears, pots, fi>h hooks, or other engines; or shall take any fi^h by any means or device whatevei-, or by aiding tliereunto, in any river, stew, pond, mote, or other water, without the comertt of the lord or owner of the water ; and be thereof cou- victed by confession, or oath of one witness p 158 best's art of angling. before one justice, in one month after the offence, everv snch'^olFender in stealing, taking, or killing fish,*'shall for every such oifence give to the party injured such recompence and in such time as the justice shall appoint, not exceeding trehle da- mages : and moreover shall pay down to the ove?-seers for the use of the poor, such sum, not exceeding 10s. as the justice shall think meet; in default of payment , to be levied by distress; for want of distress to be committed to the house of correction, not exceeding one month, unless he enter into bond vv^ith one surety to the party injured, not exceeding c£lO. never to offend in like manner, 22 and 23 C. 2. c. 25. s. 7. And the justice may take, cut and destroy all such anoles, spears, hairs, nooses, trolls, wears, pots, fish-hooks, nets, or other engines, wherewith such offender shall be apprehended. S. 8. Persons aggrieved may appeal to the next ses- sions, whose determination shall be final, if no title to any land, royalty, or fi&hery, be therein concerned. S. 19- . , , i 5 Whereas,divers idle, disorderly, and mean pers'ons have and keep nets, angles, leaps, P'ches and other engines, for the taking and killing ot fish out of ponds, waters, rivers and other hsh- eries to the damage of the owners thereot ; therefore no person hereafter, shall have or keep any net, angle, leap, piche, or other engine for the takin^^ of fish, other than the makers and setters th^ereof, and other than the owner and occupier of a river or fishery ; and except fish- ermen and their apprentices lawfully authorized in navi-able rivers. And the owner or occupier of the nver or fish ; and every other person by him appointed, may seize, detain, and keep to his own use, every net, angle, leap piche and other engine, which he shuU find used or laid, or in the GAME LAWS. 159 possession of an v piiison fishing in any river or iislicry, without the consent of the owner or occu- pier thereol". And also, any person, authorized by a justice's warrant, may in the day-time search tlie houses, out-houses, and other places, of any person hereby prohibited to have or keep tiie same, who sliali be suspected to have or keep in his custody or possession any net, angle, leap, piche, or otlier engine aforesaid, and seize and keep the same to his own use, or cut and destroy tile same, as things by this act prohibited to be kept by persons of their degree. 4. and 5. W. c. ^3. s. 5. 6. 6. If any peron shall enter into any park or paddock, fenced in and inclosed, or into any gar- den, orcliard, or yard, adjoining or belonging to any dwelling-house in or througli wliich park or paddock, garden, orchard, or yard, any stream of water or river shall run or be, or wherein shall be any river, stream, pool, pond, mote, stew, or other water, and by any ways, means, or advice whatever, shall steal, take, kill, or destroy any fish bred, kept, or preserved therein, with- out the consent of the owner tiiercof; or shall be aiding or assisting therein ; or shall receive or buy any such fish, knowing the same to be siolcn or taken as aforesaid; and shall be convicted thereof at the assizes, M-ithiu six calendar months after the offonce committed,* he thall'be trans- ported for seven years. And any olfender sur- rendering himself to a justice, or being appre bended, or in custody for such offence^ or on any other account, who shall make confession there- of, and a true discovery, on oath, of liis accom- plice or accomplices, so as such accomplice may he apprehended, and sliall on trial give evidence so Hs to convict such accomplice, shall be dii- IfiO best's art of angling. charged of the offence so by liim confessed. d. G. 3. c. 14. s. 1, 2. /\nd if any person sliall take, kill, or destroy, or attempt to take, kill, or destroy, any fish in any river or stream, pond, pool, or oiher water (not being in any park or paddock, or in any garden, or orchard, or yard, adjoining or belong- ing to any dwelling-house, but in any other in- closed ground, being private property) he shall, ©n conviction before one justice, on the oath of one witness, forfeit 5l. to the owner or owners of the fishery, of such river or stream of water, or of such pond, pool, mote, or other water: and such justice, on complaint, upon oath, may issue his warrant to bring the person com[)]ained of before him ; and if he shall be convicted before such justice, or any other justice of the county or place, he shall immediately after conviction pay the said penalty of 5l. to such justice, for tlie use of such person as the same is hereb}^ ap- pointed to be paid unto ; and in default thereof, shall be committed by such justice to the house of correction, for any time not exceeding six months, unless the forfeiture shall be sooner paid ; or such owner of tfie fishery may bring an action for the penalty (within six calendar months after the offence) in any of the courts of record at Wesminster. S. 3, 4. Provided, that nothing in this act shall extend to subject any persons to the penalties thereof, who shall fish., take, or kill, smd carry away, any fish in any river, or stream of water, pond, pool, or other water, wherein such person shall have a just right or claim to take, kill, or carry away such fish. S. 5. 7. By the bhick act, if any person, being ^rmed and dis<;uised, shall unlawfully steal oir GAME LAWS. l6l take away any hsb out of any rk'er or pond por (whetlier armed or disguised or not) shall unlaw- fully and maliciously break down the bead or mound of any fish-pond, whereby the fish shall be lost or destroyed, or shall reseue any person in custody for such offence; or procure any other to join with him therein, be shall be guilty of felon}' _, without benefit of clergy. Cdly. RULES COyCERNING THE ASSIZE, AND PRESERVING THE BREED OF FISH, 1. if any person si i all lay or draw any net, engine or other device, or cause any thing to be done in the Severn, Dee, Wye, Teame, Were, Tees, liibbie, Mersey, Dun, Air, Omzc, Swale, Calder, Wbarfe, Etu'e, Darwcnt,orTrent, where- by tlies|)awn or fry of salmon, or any kepperor sodder salmon, or any salmon not IB incbesfroni the eye to the extent of lite middle of the tail, shall be taken and killed ; or sliail set any bank, dam, h(idjie, siank, or net across tiie same, where- by tbe salmon may be taken, or hindered from passing up to spav/n, or shall between .July Si, and November \l, (except in tbe Ribble,. where tliey may be taken between Jan. l,and Sept. 15,) lake any salmon of any kind in any of the said- rivers, or shall, alter Nov. 12, yearly, fish tiiere for salmon, witli any net less than 2i- incbes in the laesh; be .--ball, on conviction, in one month,be- fore one justice, on view, confession, or oath of one witness, forfeit o\. and the fish, nej-S and en- gines; iiaif the siiid sum to the informer, and liaif to the poor, by distress; for want of distress, to be committed to the house of correction or gaol, not more than three months, nor less than one, to be kept to hard labour, and to suirersucU 162 best's aut of angling other corporal punishment as the justice shall think fit : the nets and engines to be cut or de- stroyed in presence of the justice; the banks, dams, hedges, and stanks, to be demoUshed at the charge of the offender, to be levied in like manner: 1 G. st.2. c. 18. s. 14. Note. It is not said who shall have the fish ; so that it seemeth thej^ are forfeited to the king. -And no salmon out of the said rivers shall be sent to London, under six pounds weight ; on- pain that the sender, buyer, or seller, on the like conviction, shall forfeit 5l. and the fish ; half to^ the informer and half to the poor, by distress; for want of sufficient distress, to be committed' to the house of correction or gaol, to be kept to hard labour for three months, if not paid in the mean time^ Id. S. 15. And persons aggrieved may appeal to the »ext Sessions. Id. S. 17. 2. No salmon shaii be taken in the Humber,. Ouze, Trent, Done, Aue, DarvYcnt, Wharfe, Nid, Yore, Swale, Tees, Tine, Eden, or any other water wherein salmon are taken, between Sept. 8 and Nov. 11. Nor shall any youna: salmon be taken at millpools (nor in other places, 13. R. ^. St. 1. c 19.) from Mid'Jprii to Midsummer^, on pain of having the nets and engines burnt for the first off'ence; for the second, imprisonment for a cpiarter of a year: for the third, a whole^ year; and, as the tresspass increaseth, so shall the punishment. And overseers shall be assigned to enquire thereof. i3. Ech 1. st. 1. c. 47. That is, under the great seal, ai>d by autlrority of par- Hameut. 2. Inst. 477- And no person shall put in the waters of Tha- anise, Humber, Ou/e, Trent, nor any other -ivaters; in any time of the year, any nets called G A M E L A U S . I Gf\ Stalkers, nor other nets or engines whaisoever^ by which the Fry or breed of sahnons, lampreys, or anv other tish, may in any wise be taken and destroyed : on the like pain. 13. II. (2. st. 1 . c. \Q. And the waters ot" Lon, Wyre, Merse}', Kib- ble, and all other waters in Lancashire, shall be put in defence as to taking of sahnon from Michaelmas, to Candlemas, and in no other lime of the year. And conscjvators shall be appointed in like manner. 13. K. '2. st. 1. c. If). And the justices of the peace (and the inayot; of London, on the Thames and Medway,) shall survey the offence^ in both the acts above-men- tioned; and shall >nrvey and scrirch all the wears- in such rivers; that they sliall not be very strait jk)r the destruction of sucl) fry and brood; but of reasonable wideness after the old assize used or accustomed; and they shall appoint under-con- servators, who shall be sworn to make like sur- vey, search, and punishment. And they shall enquire in sessions, as well by their oihce, as at tlie information of the under-conservaturs, of all defaults aforesaid, and shall cause them whicli- sliall be thereof indicted, to come before them; and if they be thereof convicted, they bhall have imprisonment, and make fine at the discre- tion of the justices : and if the same be at the information of an under-conservator, he sliall have half the fine. 17. H. 2- c. 9. 3. By the 1 Eliz. c. 17. ^ estate, degree, and condition soever he be, shall take and kill any young brood, spawn, or fry oi^ iish; nor shall take or kill any salmon or trouts, not being in season, being kepper and shedder ^ nor any pike or pikerel, not bemg in length ten inches lish or more; nor any salmon^ not being l6'4 best's art of angling. in length sixteen inches fish ; nor anj tront not being in -'ength eiglit inches fish; nor any bar- bel not beinain leii2:th twelve inches : and no ue.r- son shall fish, or take iish^ by any device, but only with a net or trammel, vviiereol' the mesh shasi be two inches and a halF broad, (an.gii]ig excepted, and except smelts, lot hes, minnows, bill! heads, gudgeons, and. eels;) on pain of for- feiting 20s. for every offence, and also the fish, nets, and engines. No^e. fo some editions of tj:>e statutes it is 20l. in others 20s.- in the records it is n.ot distinguishable whether it is pounds or shi iii ngs. The latter seems more adeq uate to the oiFence. And the conservators of rivers may enquire hereof by a jurv .; and in sucii case they shall have the fines. The leet also mny c:nquire hereof; and then the forfeiture sliali go to the lord of the leet. And if the stevvju-d do not charge the iurv there- with lie shall forfeit 40s. haif to the king, and half to him that shall sue» And if the jury con- ceal the ofience, lie may impannel another jury to enquire of such concealment: aad if it is found, the former jury shall forfeit every one 20s. to the lord of the leet. And if the offence is not presented in the leet within a year, then it may be heard or deter- mined at the sessions or assizes, (saving the right c onservators.) And by the 33 G. 2. 3. £7. No person shall take, cr knowingly have in his ^possession, either in the or water on shore, or sell or expose to sale, any spawn, fry, or brood of fish, or any unsizeable iish, or fisli out cf season, or any smelt not five inches long : and any person may seize tiiC same, together w ith. baskets and package, and charge GAMK LAWS. 1<>5 a constable, or other peace-officer, with the oflender and witli the goods, \vho shall carr5' tiieiii belbre a justice; aiul on conviction bcibic such justice, ilie same shall he forfeited and de- livered to the prosecutor; and the oftencier shall besides forfeit '20s, to be levied by distress, by warrant of such justice, and distributed, half to the prosecutor, and half to the poo? of the parish where the offence was committed, (and any inha- bitant of such parish, nevertheless may be a wit- ness), for want of sufficient distress, to b^^ com-^ mitted to the house of correction, to be kept to hard labour for any time not exceeding three months, unless the forfeiture be sooner paid. Provided, that the justice may mitigate the said penalty, so as not to remit above one lialf. Per- sons aggrieved uuiy appeal to tiie next sessions i And the form of the conviction may be this : Be it remembered, that on this da}' of in the year of the reign of G. B. is convicted before me one of his majesty's justices of the peace, for the of for and 1 do adjudge him to pay and forfeit the sum of Given under my hand antl seal the day and year abovesaid. S. 13, 15, id, 17, 18, 19. 4. No person shall fasten any nets over rivers^ to stand continually day and night, on |)ain of an hundred shillings to the king. 'Z II. 6. c. 16. Our plenteous streams a various race sup.i)ly, 'llie l>ri<£hL ayW perch, with fuis ot 'rvjiau-dye, Th« silver eel, in shiuiiiL; volumes roU'd, 'J'he yellow carp, in series be-droppM wnh gold, Switt troiits, diversified wiih crimson stains. And pikes, the tyrants of the wat'ry plains. I'Oi'E's \VliNUS04C lOKFST. H)() best's aht of angling. CHAP. VIII. Prognostics of the Weather ^ imJepotdeiit of the the Barometer^ extracted from the best Autho^ rities. AS it is highly necessary that an angler should be able to form a judgment of the change of weather, on which his sport entirely depends; if he observes the following signs, it will soon become familiar to him. SIGNS FROM VAPOURS. If a white mist in an evening or night is spread over a meadow, wlierein there is a river, it will be drawn up by the next morning's sun, and the day will be bright afterwards. Where there are higii hills, and the mist which hano's over the lower lands draw towards the hills in a morning, and rolls up their sides till it covers tlie top, there will be no rain. In some places, if the mist hangs upon the hills, and drags alon^ the woods, instead of overspreading the ievel grounds, in a morning, it will turn to rain; therefore to judge rightly of the appearances of a fog, it is in some degree necessary to be acquainted with the nature of the country. SIGNS FROM THE CLOUDS. It is a very considerable symptom of fair >veather, when the cloud* decay, and dissolve SIGNS FROM THE CLOUDS. UlJ themsehes into air; but it is otherwise when they are collected out of it. In mibem cogiier aer. Virgil. Ai>;iinst heavv rain, everv cloud rises bi^r^er than tlic tormer, an(J all the clouds are in a i^row- ini^- state. This is in(;st rc:narkable on tiie approach of a thunderstorm, afier the vapours have been co- piously elevated, suspended in the sky by the heat, and are highly charged with eiectrical (ire; small fragments of flying clouds increase and assemble together, till in a short space of time thev cover tlie sky. Wiicn the clouds are formed likefloecc', deep, and dense toward the middle, and very white at th.e edges, with the sky very bright and blue about ihem, they are of a frosiy coldness, and will soon fall either in hail, snow, or in iiasty showers of rain. If clouds are seen to breed liigh in the air, in thin white tjains, like locks of wool, oi the tails of horses, they shew that the vapour as it is col- 1^'cted, is irregularly spread and scattered by contrary winds above; the consequence of wliicli will soon be a wind below, and probably a rain with it. If the clouds, as they C(jme forward, seem to diverge from a point in tlie horizon, a wind may be expected from that cpiartcr or the opposite. When a general cloudiness covers the sky above, and tliere are small black frjvgnients of clouds, like smoke, flying undern'.ath, which some call messengers, others Noah's Ark, be- cause they sail over the other clouds, like tlie ark upon the waters, rain is not far otl^ and it ^viil probably be lasting. l6S best's aut of angling, There is no surer sign of rain tbau two differ- ent currents of doHcls, especially if the under- most i^ies last before the wind ; and if tw^o sudi currents frppear in the hot weather of the sum- mer, they -'^hew thai a thunder storm is gather- ing : iHit the preparation which precedes a storm tjK thunder, is so n;enerdliv understood, that it is iieedlegs to insist upon it minutely. SIGNS FROM THE DEW, If the dew hes plentifully upon the grass after a fair day, another fall- day may be expected to succeed it ; but if after such a day there is no dew upon the gronnd, and no wind stirring, it is a siirn tiiat the vapours 2:0 upwards, and that there will be an accumulation above, which musi ter- minate in rain. SIGNS FROM THE FJCE OF THE SKY. If those vapours wliich the heat of the day raises from the earth, are precipitated by the cold air of ihe niirht, then the sky is clear in the morning; but if this does not happen, and they remain still in the air, the light ot the morning will he coloured as it was in the evening, and rain will be the consequence. There is comm^nlv either a strong dew, or a mist over the ground, between a red evening and a gre\^ morning; but if a red morning suc- ceeds^ there is no dew. It is a bad symptom wlien a lowering redness is spread too far upwards from the horizon, either in the morning or in the evening; it is succeeded either by rain or wind, and frequently both. SIGNS FROM THE SUN, &C. 1(J9 When such a tiery redness, together vvitli a raggedtlness ot" the clouds, extends towards the zenith in an evening, the wind wiU be high from the west or south-west, attended with rain some- times with a flood : before the late dreadful hur- ricane of ]7S0, at Barbadoes and the other West-India Islands, a redness like fire was ob- served all over the sky. When the sky, in a rainy season is tinged with sea-green colour, near the horizon, when it ought to be blue, the rain will continue and increase it' it is of a deep dead blue, it is abundantly loaded with vapours, and the weather will be showery. SIGNS FROM THE SVNf MOOX, AND STARS, When there is a haziness aloft in the air, so that the sun's light fades by degrees, and his orb looks whitish and ill-defined^ it is one of the most certain signs of rain. If the moon and stars grow dim in the night, with the like haziness in the air, and a ring or halo appears round the moon, rain will be the consequence. If the rays of the sun, breaking through the clouds, are visible in the air, and appear like those horns of irradiation which painters usual- ly place upon the head of \^1oses, the air is sensibly filled with vapours, which reflect the rays to the sight, and these vapours will soon produce rain. If the sun appears white at his setting, or shorn of his rays, or goes down into a bank of clouds, which lie in the horizon ; all these are signs of approaching or continuing bad wea- ther. U the moon looks pale and dim, we are to ex- 170 best's art of angling. pect rain ; if red, it is a sign of wind ; and if white, and of her natural colour, and the sky clear, it will be fair weather, according to a poetical adage. Pallida luna pluit, rubicunda flat, alba serenat. If the moon is rainy throughout her course^ it will clear up at the ensuing change, and the rain will probably commence again in a few days after, and continue ; if, on the contrary, the moon has been fair throughout, and it rains at the change, the fair weather will probably be restored about the fourth or fifth day of the moon, and continue as before. Sin ortu quarto (iiamque is certissimus autor) Pura, neque obtusis per calum cornibus ibit, Totus et ille dies, et qui nascentur ab illo Exactum ad mensem, pluvia ventisque carebunt. Virg. Gecrg. 132. But four nights old, (for that^s the surest sign,) With sharpened horns, if glorious then she shine: Next day, not only that, bui all the moon, 'Till her revolving race be wholly ran, Are void of tempests. Dryden. N. B. A gentleman who cuts hay for his own consumption, will seldom fail to find his account in marking this observation ; but a farmer who has much business to do, cannot contract his work into so small a compass, as to save him- self by the benefit of this observation, because some of his work must be done to make way for the rest. SIGNS OF THE WEATHER. 171 SIGNS FROM THE WINDS* When the wind veers about, uncertain!}', to several points of the compass, rain is pretty sure to follow. Some have remarked, that if the wind, as it veers about, follows the course of the sun, from the east towards the west, ii brings fair weather; if the contrary, foal; but there is no prognostic of rain more infallible, than a whistling or howling noise of the wind. FROM NOCTURNAL METEORS* When an Aurora borealis appears, after soni« warm days, it is generally succeeded by a cold- ness of the air : as if the matter of heat was carried upwards from the earth to the sky. SIGNS OF THE CHANGE OF fV BATHER FROM THE AMIMAL CREATION, So long as the swallows fly aloft after their prey, we think ourselves sure of a serene sky ; but when they skim along near the ground, or the surface at" the water, we judge the rain is not far off, and the observation will seldom fail : in the year 1773, a draught of three months continuance broke up at the summer solstice: the day before the rain came upon us, the svv^itl- lows flew very near the ground, which they had never done in the fine weather. In the mountainous country of Derbyshire, which goes by the name oi' the Peak, the inha- bitants observe, that if the sheep wind up the hills in the mornini? to their pasture, and feed 172 best's art of angling, near the tops, the weather, though cloudy and drizzling, which is very frequently the case in those parts, will clear away by degrees, and ter- minate in a fine day; but if they feed in the bottoms, the rains will continue and increase. Dogs grow sleepy and stupid before rain, and shew that their stomachs are out of order, by refusing their food, and eating grass, that sort which is hence called dog's grass: this they cast itp again soon afterwards, and with it the foul- ness that oifended their stomachs- Water-fowl dive and wash themselves more than ordinary; and even the fish in rivers are affected, because all anglers agree, that they never bite freely whenrainis depending. Vide part lst,rule l6th. Flies, on the contrary, are particularly trou- tlesome, and seem to be more hungry than usual ; and toads are seen in the evening, crawl- ing across the road or beaten path, where they seldom appear but when they are restless vvith an approaching change. Before any considerable quantity of rain is to fall, most living creatures are affected in such sort as to render them some way sensible of its approach, and of the access of something new to the surface of the earth, and of the atmos- phere. Moles work harder than ordinary, they throw up more earth, and sometimes come forth: the worms do so too ; ants are observed to stir about, and bustle more than usually for some time, and then retire to their burrows be- fore the rain falls. All sorts of insects and flies are more stirring and busy than ordinary. Bees are ever on this occasion in fullest employ ; but betake themselves all to their hives, if not too far for them to reach before the storm arises. The common flesh-flies are more bold PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 173 and greedy; snails, iiogs, and toads, appear disturbed and uneasy. Fislies are sullen, and made qualmish by the water, now more turbid than before. Birds of all sorts are in action : crows are most earnest after their prev, as are also swallows and other small birds^ and there- fore they fall lower, and fly nearer to the earth, in search of insects and such other things as they feed upon. When the mountains of the north begin to be capped with fogs, the moor- cocks and other birds quit them, fly off in flocks, and betake themselves to the lower lands for the time. Swine discover great uneasiness ; as do likewise sheep, cows, and oxen, appearing more solicitous and eager in pasture than usual. Even mankind themselves are not exempt from some sense of a change in their bodies. PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 1°. " A dark, thick, sky, lasting for some time without either sun or rain, always become first fair, than foul, i. e." Changes to a fair, clear sky, before it turns to rain. This the Rev. Mr. Clarke, who kept a register of the weather for thirty years, since put into Mr. Derham's hands, by his grandson, the learned Dr, Samuel Clarke : this, he says, he scarce ever knew to fail ; at least when the wind was in any of the easterly points: but Mr. Derham has observed the rule to hold good, be the wind where it will. And the cause is obvious : The atmosphere is replete with vapours, which, though sulhcient to reflect and intercept the sun's rays from us, yet want density to descend; and while the va- pours continue in the same state, the weather will do so o, C3 174 best's art of angling. Accordingly, such weather is generally at- tended with moderate warmth, and with little or no wind to disturb the vapours, and an heavy atmosphere to sustain them, the barometer being commonly high. But when the cold ap proaches, and by condensino;, drives the vapours into clouds or drops, then way is made for the sun-beams; till the same vapours being, by fur- ther condensation, formed into rain, fall down into drops. 2°. " A chang^ein the warmth of the weather, is generally followed by a change in the wind." Thu^, the northerly and southerly winds, com- monly esteemed the causes of cold and warm weather, are really the effects of the cold or warmth of the atmosphere: of which Mr. Der- ham assures us he has had so man}^ confirma- tions, that he makes no doubt of it. Thus it is common to see a warm southerly wind suddenly changed to the north, by a fall of snow or hail ; or to see the wind, in a cold frosty morning, north, when the sun has well warmed the earth and air, wheel towards the south ; and again turn northerly or easterly in a cold evening. 3°. ^^ Most vegetables expand their flowers and down in sun-shiny weather, and towards the evening; and against rain close them again ;" especially at the beginning of their flowering, when their seeds are tender and sensible. This is visible enough in the down of dandeUon, and other downs: and eminentlv in the flowers of pimpernel ; the opening and shutting of which, Gerard observes, are the countryman's weather- wiser, wherebv he tells the weather of the foi- lowing day. The rule is, if the dowers are PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 175 close shut up, it betokens rain and foul wea- ther: if they are spread abroad, fair weather. Ger. Herb, Lib. 2. Est et alia (arbor in Tyli.s) similis, foliosior ta- men, roseique ftoris ; quern noctu comprimens ape- lire incipit so/is exho/tu, meridie expandit. In- cokc dormire earn dicunt. Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. 12. C.2. The stalk of trefoil, my Lord Bacon ob- serves, swells against rain, and grows more up- right: and the like may be observed, though not so sfnsibl}', in the stalks of most other plants. He adds, that in the stubble-fields there is found a small red flower, called by tlie country people rmncopipe ; which, opening in the morning, is a sure indication of a fine day. 'i'hat vegetables should be affected by the same causes tirat affect the weather, is very conceivable; if we consider them as so many- hygrometers and thermometers, consisting of an infinite number of tracheae or air vessels ; by which they have an immediate communica- tion uith the air, and partake of its moisture and heat, 6cc. These tracheae are very visible in the leaf of the scabiose, vine, See. Hence it is, that all wood, even the hardest and most solid, swells in moist weather ; the vapours easily insinuating themselves into the pores thereof, especially of that which is light- est and driest. And hence we derive a very extraordinary use of wood, viz, for breaking Tocks and mill-stones. The method at the (juarries is this : Having cut a rock into a cy- linder, they divide that into several lesser cylin- ders, by making holes at tlie proper distances round the great one: these holes tlicy fill with 60 many pieces of sallow wood, dried in an oven; 176 best's art of angling. which, in moist weather, becoming impregnated with the humid coipiis^'Ies of the air, swell ; and, like wedges, break or cleave the rocks into several stones. Ihe speedy drying o^ the surface of the earthy is a sig:n of a northerly wind and fair weather ; and its becoming moist, of southerly wind and rain. Heuce the farmer may be in- structed, never to trust a sun-shiny day, while the surface of the earth continues wet; and to rely on a change to dry vvreather, as soon as he observes the moisture dried up, even thouah the appearance of the douds should not be favora- ble; for the air sucks up all the moisture on he surface of the earth, even though the sky be overcast, and that is a sure sign of fair weather; but if the earth continues moist, and water stands in shallow places, no trust should be put in the clearest sky^ for in this case it is deceit- ful. ADDENDA. MORE SIGNS FROM ANIMALS. AGAINST rain fleas bite more than com- mon, spiders crawl abroad, bees stir not far from their hives. On the contrary, spiders' webs in the air, or on the grass or trees, foretel very fair and hot weather ; so do bees when they fly far from their hives, and come late home; and likewise a more than usual appear- ance of glow-worms by night. If gnats play up and down in the open air near sun-set, they presage heat, if in the shade, warm and mild showers ; but if iheyjoin in sti»ging those that PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 177 pass by them, cold weather and much ram may be expected. Larks rising very high, and con-" tinuing to sing for a long time, and kites flying aloft, are signs of fair and dry weather. In men^ frequently aches, wounds, and corns, are more troublesome, either towards rain or to- Avards frost. Virgil's beautiful description of this sense in animals, is thus rendered by Mr. Dryden : Wet weather seldom hurts the most unwise ; So plain the signs, such prophets are the skies: The wary crane foresees it first, and sails Above the storm, and leaves tlie hollow vales: Tiie cow looks u)), and I'rom alar can find The change ofheav'n, and snuffs it in the wind. The swallow skims the river's watry face, The frogs renew the croaks of their loquacious race. The careful ant her secret cell forsakes, And draws her eggs along the narrow tracks. IIuL^e flocks of rising rooks forsake their food, And, crying, seek the shelter of the wood. Besides, the several sorts of wat'ry fowls. That swim the seas or haunt the standing pools, Then lave their backs with sprinkling dews in vain, And stem the stream to meet the promis'd rain. Then, after showers, 'tis easy to descry, lleturning suns, and a serener sky. 0 ^ * * * * Their litter is not toss'd by sows unclean, 4» =V ¥ « « 4( And owls, that mark the setting-sun, declare A star-light ev'ningr, and a morning fair. • ♦ » ^ * * ♦ Then thrice the ravens rend the liquid air, And croakmg notes proclaim the settled fair : Then round their airy palaces they tly To greet the sun, and seiz'd with secret joy When storms are overblown, wuh fo(jd repair To their forsaken nests and callow care. The crow has been particularly remarked by the ancients to presage rain, when she caws. J7S best's art of angling, and walks i^lone on the sea-shore, or on the banks of rivers and pools. Thus Virgil^ in the firsi Georgic. Turn comix rauca pluviam vocat improba voce, Et sola in sicca secum spatiatur arena. The crow with clamorous cries the shower demands, And single stalks along the desert sands. I>RYDE». Pliny makes the same observation, in the 3.5th chap, of his 18th book: Et cum terrestes volucres contra aquas clangores fundentes sese sed maxime cornix : * It is a sign of rain^ when land-fowl, and especially (;rows, are clamorous near waters, and wash themselves.' Horace also expresses himself to the same purpose, in the i7th Ode of the third book^ where lie says, Aqufe nisi faliit augur. Annosa cornix. " unless in vain Croaks the old crow presaging rain." Likewise in the £7th Ode of the same book, he calls the crow, divinam imbrium imminent tium; prophetic of impending showers. irORE PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATJTER, TAKEN FROM THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS. 1st Rule. If the sun rise red and fiery, wind and rain. 2d Rule. If cloudy, and the clouds soon de- crease certain fair weather. 1 hese rules may be extended to all the hea- PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 179 venly bodies ; for as their rays pass through the atmosphere, the vapours in tt|e air have the same effect on each. When the farmer therefore sees the sun or moon rise or set red and fiery, or sees tlie clouds and horizon of that colour, he may ex- pect wind and rain, owing to the unequal distri- bution of the vapours, or to their being already collected into watery globules by some pre* cedinc( cause. But if, according to the second rule, the sun rises cloudy, and the clouds soon decrease, the vapours are more equally distributed in the at- mosphere ; which equal distribution is also pro- moted by the warmth of the rising sun. Hence we may account for an observation adopted into all languages. The evening rtd^ the ruorninggrfy, Are sure signs ofa./uir day. For if the abundance of vapours denoted by the red evening sky falls down in dew, or is otherwise so equally dispersed in the air, that the morning shall appear grey, we may pro- mise ourselves a fair day, from that equal state of the atmosphere. li^ in the morning, some parts of the sky ap- pear green between the clouds, while the sky is blue above, stormy weather is at hand. The great Lord Bacon gives us the follow- ing rules to judge of the ensuing weather, from the first appearance of the moon ; and it is said thai these rules of his have never been known to fail. If the new moon does not appear till the 180 BESTS ART OF ANGLING. fourth day, it prognosticates a troubled air for the whole month. If the moon, either at her first appearance, or within a few days after, has her lower horn ob- scured or dusky, or anyways sullied, it denotes foul weather before the full ; but if she be dis- coloured in the middle, storms are to be ex- pected about the full, or about the wane,, if her upper born is affected in like manner. When the moon, on her fourth day, appears fine and spotless, her horns unblunted, and nei- ther flat nor quite erect, but betwixt both, it promises fair weather for the greatest part of the month. An erect moon is generally threatening and unfavourable, but particularly denotes wind ; though if she appear with short and blunted horns, rain is rather expected. Most of the foreijoinff rules are taken from the following beautiful passage of Virgil : Observe the daily circle of the sun, And the short year of each revolving moon : By them thou shalt foresee the following day ; JNor shalt a starry night thy hopes betray. When first the moon appears, if then she shrouds lier silver crescent, tipp'd with sable clouds: Concludes she bodes a tempest on the main, And brews for fields impetuous floods of rain. Or if her face with fiery flushmgs glow, Expect the rattling winds aloft to blow^ But four nights old (for that's the surest sign) With sharpen'd horns, if glorious then she shine, Kext day, not only that but all the moon, 'Till her revolvmg race be n tjoll y run, Are void of tempests both by sea and land. ******** Above the rest, the sun, who never lie^, Foretels the change or weather in the skies; For if he rise unwilling to his ract, Clouds on his brow and spots upon his face; PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 181 Or if thro' mists he shoots his sullen beams, Fru-^al of light, in loose and stragglin-g streams ; Suspect a dri/.zlinij day with southern rain. * * •"• *##^ ;» Or il Aurora, with half open'd eyes. And a pale sickly choek, salute the skies ; How shall the viae, her tender leaves defend Her teeming clusters when the storms descend ? * * ♦ *♦((.#.# But more than all the setting-sim survey, \yhen down the steep of heav'n he drives the day : For oft* we find him finishing his race, With various colours errinii on his face; If fierv red his flowing glube descends, High winds and furious tempests he portends; But if his cheeks are swoln with livid blue, He bodes wet weather by his wat'ryhne; W dusky s|30ts arc variea on his brow, And streaked with red, a troubled colour shew, That sullen mixture shall at once declare Winds, rain, and storms, and elemental war. * »*«*#** But if with purple rays he brings the light, And a pure heav'n, resigns to quiet niglit; No rising winds nor falling storms are nigh. MORE PROGNOSTICS, TAKEN FRO 31 THE CLOUDS. 3d Rule. Clouds large, like rocks, great showers. 4tli Rule. If small clouds increase, much rain. 5th Rule. 11" large clouds decrease, lair wea- ther. 6th Rule. In summer or harvest, when the wind has heen south two or three days, and it grows very hot, and you see clouds rise with white tops, like towers great as if one were on the top of another, and joined together with hlack on the nether side, there will he thunder and raiu suddenly. 182 best's art of angling. 7tli Rule. If two such clouds rise, one on ei- ther hand, it is time lo make haste to shelter. Mr. Worlidge gives us the following Kulcs. '^ In a fair day, if the sky seems dappled with white clouds, (which is usually termed a mackrtl sky) it generally predicts rain.'' This is confirmed by a very ingenious gentle- man, who has constantly observed, that ** in dry weather, so soon as clouds appear at a great height, striped like the feathers in the breast of a hawk, rain may be expected in a day or so." ^* In a clear evening, certain small black clouds appearing, are undoubted signs of rain to follow: or if black or blue clouds appear near the sun, at any time of the day, or near the moon by night, rain usually follows." '* If small waterish clouds appears on the tops of hills, rain follows." " If clouds grow, or appear suddenly, the air otherwise free from clouds, it denotes tempests at hand, especially if they appear to the south or west." *' If many clouds, like fleeces of wool, are scat- tered from the east, thev foretel rain within three days. When clouds settle upon the tops of moun- tains, thev indicate hard weather. When the tops of mountams are clear, it is a sign of fair weather. MORE PROGNOSTICS TAKEN FROM MIST. 8th Rule. If mists rise in low grounds and soon vanish, fair weather. 9th Rule. If it rises up to the hill tops, rain in a day or two. PllOGNOSTlCS CONTIx\UED. 183 10th Rule. A ireaerai mist before the sun rises, near the full moon, fair weather MORE PROGNOSTICS TAKEN FROM RAIN, jllh Rule. Sudden rains never hist long : but when the air grows thick by degrees, and the sun, moon, and stars, shine dimmer and dimmer, it is likely to rain six hours usually. 12th Rule. If it begins to rain from the south, with a high wind, for two or three hours, and the wind falls, but the rain continues, it is likely to rain twelve hours or more ; and does usually rain till a strong north wind clears the air : these long rains seldom hold above twelve hours, or happen above once a year. " In an inland coun- try," says Mr. Mills, " it may not rain for more than twelve hours successively ; but [ doubt this ■will not hold a general rule, either of its duration or frequency, m all places ; for, near the ses^^ rains hajipen often which last a whole day." 13lIi Rule. If it begins to rain an hour or two hefore sun-rising, it is likely to be iair before noon, and to continue so that day ; but if the rain begins an hour or tv\'o after sun-rising, it is likely to rain all that day, except the rain- bow be seen bel'oie it rains. Mr. Worlidge's signs of rain are the following: " The audibility of sound are certain prognos- tics of the temper of the air in a still evening, for if the air is replete v< ith moisture over us, it depresses the sounds, so that they become audi- ble to a oreater distance than when tlte air is free Irom such moisture autl vapours. From whence you may conclude, that in such nights, or other r2 i84 best's akt of angling. times, when you hear the sound of beJls, noise of water, beasts, birds, or any other sounds or noises, more plainly than at other times, the air is incHneable to rain, which commonly suc- ceeds." ^ " If the earth, or any moist or fenny places, jield any extraordinary scents, or smells it pre- sages rain.'* " If dews lie long in the morning on the grass, &c. it signifies fair weather; but li' they rise or vanish suddenly and early in the morning, it pre- sages rain." " There is a small bird of the size and nearly the shape of a marten that at certain times flies "very near the water, which is a most sure proo-- nostic of tempestuous weather; never appear- in.cj but against such weather as hath been con- stantly observed by the boatmen on the Severn and the channel, between the Isle of .Wight and the main-land." " Ducks and geese picking their wings, wash- ing themselves much, orcacklino; much, denotes ram " ** If after rain comes a cold wind, there will be more rain." The nightly virgin, whilst her wheel she plies, Foresees xhj. storm impending in the skies. When sparkling lamps their sputi'ring light advance, And in their sockets oily bubbles dance. dkvden's vircil. MORE PROGNOSTICS FR03I THE WIND, 14th Rule. When the wind turns to north-east, and it continues there two days without rain, and does not turn south the third day, nor rain the third day, it is likely to continue north-east for PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 18^. eight or nine days a'l fair^ and then to come south again. loth Rule. It'll turn again out of the south to the north-east with rain, and continues in the nortli-east two days without rain, and neither turns south nor rains the third day, it is hkly to continue north-east two or three months. Tlie wind will Huish these turns in three weeks. l6th Rule. After a northerly wind, for the most of two moths or more, and then coming south, there are usually three or four fair days at first, and then on the fourth or fifth dav comes rain, or else the wind turns north again and con- tinues dry. 17th Rule. If it returns to the south within a day or two, without rain, and turns northward with rain, and returns to the south in one or two days, as before, two or three times together after thi's sort, then it is likely to be in the south or south-west two or three months toG:elher, as it was in the north before. The winds will finish these turns in a fortnight, 18th Rule. Fair weather for a week, with a southerly wind, is likely to produce a great drought, if there has been much rain out of the south before. The wind usually turns from the north to south with a quiet wind without rain ; but returns to the north with a" strong wind and rain. The strongest winds are when it turns from south to north by west. KJth Rule. If you see a cloud rise against the wind, or side wind, when that cloud comes up to you, the wind will blow the same way the cloud came. The same rule holds of a clear place, when all the sky is equally thick, except one clear edge. When the north wind first clears the air, 186 best's art of angi>ing. which is usually once a week, he sure of a fair day or two. The following are the observations of Lord Bacon : When the wind changes conformable to the motion of the sun, that is, from east to south, from south to west, &c. it seldom goes back, or if it does, it is only for a short time ; but if it moves in a contrar}^ direction, viz. from east to north, from north to west, it generally returns to the former point at least before it has gone quite through the circle. ' When winds continue to vary for a few hours, as if it were to try in what point it should settle, and afterwards begin to blow constant, they continue for many days. If the south wind begins for two or three days, the north wind will blow suddenly after it; but if the north wind blows for the same number ^of days, the south will not rise till after the east has blown some time. W^hatever wind begins to blow in the morning, usually continues longer than that which rises in the evening. Mr. Worlidge observes, that *' if the wind be east, or north-east in the fore part of the sum- mer, the weather is likely to continue dry: and if westward towards the end of the summer, then will it also continue dry: if in great rains the winds rise or fall, it signifies the rain will forthwith cease. " If the colours of the rainbow tend more to led than any other colour, wind follows ; if green or blue are predominant, rain." y PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 187 THE SIGNS OF A TEMPEST ARE THESE I For ere the rising winds begin to roar. The working sea advances to the shore ; Soft whispers run along the kafy woods, And mountains whistle to the murni'ring floods ; And chart" with eddying wings is toss'd around, Ant^ dancing leaves are lifted from the ground, And tloating feathers on the water play. DUVDEn'S VIRGIL, PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. 20th Rule. If the last eighteen days of Fe- bruary, and the first ten days of March,* are for the most part rainy, then the spring and summer quarters will be so too : and I never knew a great drought but it entered in at that season. 2lsRule. If the latter end of Octoher and beginning of November are for the most part warm and rainv, then January and February are Jikely to be frosty and cold, except after a very dry summer. 22d Rule. If there is frost and snow in October and November^ then January and February are hkely to be open and mild. Mr. Claridge gives us the following observa- tions made by our forefathers : Jan i veer freeze the pot by the fire. If the grass grows in J a ni veer, It grows the worse for't all the year. The Welshman had rather see his datn on thebier, Than see a fair Februeer. March wind and May sun Makes clothes white and maids dun. • Old style. 188 best's art of AiNGLING. AVhen April biows bis liorn, 'Tis good both for hay and corn. An April flood Carries awav the froo; and her brood. A cold May and v.'indy Makes a fidl barn and a findy. A Mav flood never did Q'ood. A swarm ot bees iu IVI ay- Is worth a load of hay. But a swarm in in July Is not worth a tiy. ♦ The following Rules are laid down by Lord Bacon : If the wainscot or walls that used to sw^eat be drier than usual, in the beginning of winter, or the eves of houses drop more slowly than or- dinary, it portends a hard and frosty winter; for it shews an inclination in the air to dry weather, which, in winter, isahvavs joined with frost. Generally, a moist and cold summer portends a hard winter. A hot and dry summer and autumn, especially if the heat and drought extend far into Septem- ber, portend an open beginning of winter, and cold to succeed tow^ards the latter part, and begin- ning of spring. A warm and open winter portends a hot and dry summer, for the vapours disperse into the winter showers; whereas cold and frost keep them in, and conv<"y them to the late spring and fol- lowing summer. Birds that change countries at certain seasons, if they come earl}^. shew the temper of the wea- ther, according to the country whence they came; as, in winter v/oodcocks, snipes, fieldfares, &c. if they come early, shew a cold winter ; and the PROCiNOSTICS CONTINUED. 1 BQ cuckoos, if they come early, shew a hot summer to follow. A serene autumn denotes a whidy winter; a ■windy winter a rainy spring; a rainy spring, a S(n*ene summer; a serene summer, a windy au- tumn; so that the air, on a halance, is seldom debtor to itself; nor do the seasons succeed each other in the same tenor for two years together. Mr. Worlidge remarks, that ii'at the beginning of the winter the south-wind blow, and then the north, it is likely to be a cold winter ; but if the north-wind first blow, and then the south it will be a warm and mild winter. When there are but few nuts, cold and wet harvest generally follow; but when there is agreat shew of them, hot, heavy, and dry harvests suc- ceed. If the oak bears much mast, it foreshews a long and hard winter. The same has been ob- served of hips and haws. If broom is full of flowers, it usually signities plenty. Mark well the flow'ring alnionils in the \vH)od ; If" od'rous blooms the bearing branches loud, The glebe will answer to the Sylvan reign, Great heats will follow, and large crops of grain. But if a wood of leaves o'ershade the tree, Such and so barren will the harvest be. In vain the hind shall vex the threshing floor, For empty chafi" and straw will be thy store. drvden's viucil. In the preface to this new edition, Ihave taken notice, that I liave not revised any impression of this treatise since the Ji/t/i, and at the coticlu- sion of that have observed, '' that throuL^h the umertainty of life I might not do so again" However throuojh the blessings of the Ah- / '*190 best's aut of angling. MIGHTY, I am enabled lo present the reader with a new copy, and again take my leave of liim, wishing him health, prosperity, and good sport. — I shall now, (following the example of my pious predecessor W a lton.) address THAT POWER, who penetrates and sustains all nature, who brings round the grateful vicissitude of the seasons, who has given us the inhabitants of the watery element not only for our nourishment, but recreation, and Ji horn we are sure to please, by receiving his blessings thankiuliy, and enjoy- ing them with propriety. HYMN* Father of all ! — all good ! — all wise ! Who bid'st the tempest rage or cease; Whose glory fills earth, seas, aiid skies. Thou only source of joy and peace ; Thy wise decrees are right and just. Let no (>ne, impious i lax thy will ; But on thy glorious mercies trust. And see a good, thro' ev'ry ill : Arm — arm, with fortitude my breast, The various ills of life to hear; And leach thy servant when at rest, For storms and troubles to prepare : But thro' whate'er distressful scene, Thy righteous hand may lead aie still; Resigned to what may evil seem, CoiUent my breast shall calmly fill: And as theseasons onward roll, And years revulviug quickly fiy; Sv/ret gratitude shall warm my soul. For ail the blessings I enjoy : Still — still Til praise that heav'nly source. For wliat it plra5cs to h-estow; That petrifies the streamlet's course, Or bids its silver current tlow: PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED. IQl That regulates creation's Jaws, Bills all ill harmony unite ; And is, — T/te universal cause, Uf fcv'ry thing that's good and right ; TERMS USED BY ANGLERS EXPLAINED. Batch, a knot in a hair or link. Bed, hairs bed well when they twist kindly. Bedding, the body of" an artificial fi}'. Break, a knot in the joint of a rod. Chine a salmon, cut him up. Cock, a f^oat cocks when it swims perpendicular in the water. Drag, an instrument to disentangle the line. Fin a rhub, cut him up. Frnsh a chub, dress him. Gi/dard, the Jink ot" a line. Gobbet a trout, cut him up. Grabble, fishincr on the crrabble is \vlicn tlie hne is sunk with a running plummet fast to the bottom, so that tlic hook-link plays in the water. Hang ajlsh, iiook him. Kink, a line kinks in trowling, when it is twisted between the top of the rod and tlie ring. Lease of fish, three. Pouch, a pike pouches when heswallowsthe bait. Prime, fislies are said to prime w hen they leap out of the water. Shoai, any great number offish together. !Solai/ a bream, cut him up. Splate a pike, cut him up. Thrash, any thing which swims down the water. Trounchcon an eel, cut him up. Tusk a barbel, cut him up. Veer your line^ let it off the reel after striking. { 192 ) ft^ :3 So CO OJ O c. 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MINNOW-fisliing comes in about the mid- dle of March, and continues till the lat- ter end of August ; it is a most excellent bait, very destructive, of strong exercise, being al- ways in motion, and affords the angler variety of sport. To be angled with at any time of the day, from sun-rise till sun-set, and takes the best and largest fish. Cod-hait-falnng comes in about a fortnight in May, and continues till about the middle of June: i t is a very killing-bait, and will take almost every sort of fish, in deep standing-waters as well as in streams, mornings and evenings, till the middle of June. Maggot, or Gentle-jishwg comes in about the beginning of May, and continues till the latter end of February, in the next year; it is the best and most killing ground-bait that ever was made use of; it will take everv sort of fish that swims in fresh water, except salmon or pike. G ross-hopper-Jishlng comes in about the latter end of June, and continues till the latter end of August. It is a curious fine bait, very natural to fish, but very tender ; to be drawn upon a leaded hook, No. 2, after the same manner as the cod- bait, and will take almost all sorts of fish, as pike, trout, greyling, perch, chub, roach, dace, &c. &c. Cab bage-worm-^ishing comes in about the middle of June, and continues in their successive flights, till the latter end of October. There a»e three 194 best's art of angling. \ - — .j .. - . .. -t-»— ^- sorts of which the fish are remarkably fond of, and are equal in goodness to the cod-bait and grass- hopper, and will take the same sorts of fish. Worniy or Bottom-fishings comes in about the iniddle of February, if the weather is mild, and continues good all the year ; you may fish with a worm all, or any time of the day, if the water is discoloured by rain ,• but if low, clear, and fine, only mornings and evenings; it is the most ge- neral bait we have^ and will take every kind of fish ; the propei* worms for angling are fully de- scribed m this treatise. As in successive course the seasons roll, So circling pleasures recreate the soul : When genial spring a living warmth bestows, And o'er the year her verdant mantle throws, No swelling inundation hides the grounds. But chrjstal currents glide within tiieir bounds; The finny brood their wonted haunts for^ike, Float in the sun, and skim along the lake ; With frequent leap they range the shallow streams, Their silver coats reflect the dazzling beams. Now let the fisherman his toils prepare. And arm himself with ev'ry wat'ry snare ; His hooks, his lines peruse, with careful eye, Increase his tackle, and his rod re-tie. Gat. Happy England ! (says an elegant writer) where the sea furnishes an abundant and luxurious re- past, and the fresh waters are innocent and harm- less pastime; where the angler in cheerful soli- tude strolls by the edge of the stream, and fears neither the coiled snake, nor the lurking croco- dile ; where he can retire at night, with his few trouts, (to borrow the charming description of old Walton) to some friendly cottage, where the landlady is good, and the daughter innocent and l)eautiful ; where the room is cleanly, the sheets smeUing of lavender, and twenty ballads stuck TO JUDGE OF THE BAROMETEU. 195 about the wall ! There he can enjoy the compa- ny of a talkative brother angler, have his trouts dressed for supper, tell tales, sing old tunes, or make a catch ! There he can talk of the wonders of nature, with pious admiration, or find some harmless sport to content him, and pass away a little time, without offence to God, or injury to man I ! CHAP. IX. Rules to Judge of the Barometer. BY the help of the Barometer, we seem to re- gain that foreknowledge of the weather which still resides in brutes, and which we for- feited, by not continuing in the open air as they generally do, and by our intemperances, lessen- ing our sensibility of external objects. The changes that take place in the atmosphere, are principally marked by the rising and falling of the Barometer, which apparently is caused by heat and cold, the hands witli which Nature per- forms her meteorological operations ; by the former the atmosphere is rarefied and consequently be- comes light; by the latter it is condensed, and consequently becomes heavy. The Barometer falls suddenly while the air is expanded before a gale of wind, and rises again gradually as the condensed air returns, and the gale in like manner by degrees subsides. An extraordinary fall of the mercury will sometimes take place in Summer, previous to heavy showers of rain, particularly if attended with thunder and lightning; but in Spring, Autumn, and Winter, the sudden extraordinary s 2 196 best's art op angling. descent of the Barometer indicates principally violent wind. The Thermometer also which measures the degree of heat in the air near the earth, will con- tribute towards denoting when changes are likely to take place in the lower region's of the atmosphere : The Hygrometer distinguishes the quantity of moisture in the atmosphere and the Electrometer will point out the quantity of Elec- tricity which prevails in it. The words generally engraven on the plates of the Barometer, serve rather to mislead than inform; for the changes of the weather depend rather on the rising or the falling of the mercury, than of its standing at any particular height. When the mercury, is as high as fair, or at 30 degrees, and the surface of it is concave, begin- ning to descend^ it very often rains; and on the contralry when even the mercury is at 29 degrees, opposite to rain, when the surface of it is convex, beginning to rise, fair weather may be expected : these circumstances not being known, or not being duly attended to, is the principal cause, that farmers and others have not a proper confi- dence in this instrument. It must be observed that caters paribus, the mercury is higher in cold, than in warm weather, and commonly early in the morning, or late in the evening, than at noon, which seems occa- sioned by the obvious causes of the atmosphere being condensed by the cold of the night, and rarefied by the heat of the day. ^ The follov/ing observations deserve attention 1. The least alterations in the mercury are to be observed (especially in a showery time), 2. The rising of the mercury, presages in gene- ral, fair weather^ and its falling foul. TO JUDGE OF THE BAROMETER. 197 * ' ' - ■ 3. In very hot weather the falling indicates thunder. 4. In winter the rising presages frost-, and in frosty weather, if the mercury ihils three or four divisions, a thaw ; but in a continued frost, if it rises, it will certainly snow. 5. When foul vveather happens soon after the falling of the mercury, expect but little ot it; and on the contrary expect but little fair vveather, when it proves fair, shortly after the mercury has risen. 6. In foul weather, when the mercury rises much and high, and continues so for two or ~ three day's, beibre the foul weather is quite over, then expect a continuance of fair weather to follow. 7. In fair weather, when the mercury falls much and low% and continues so 'or two or three days, before the rain comes — then expect a great deal of wet, and probably high winds. 8. The unsettled motion of the mercury, de- notes changeable weather. y. If the mercury stands at much rain, and then jises up to changeable, it presages fair wea- ther, although not to continue so long as it would have done if the mercury were higher: So, on the contrary, if tlie mercury stood at fair, and falls to changeable, it presages foul weather; but fouler if it sinks down lower. But to these remarks it may be added, that wlien the Barometer suddenly falls two or three tenths, without any material alteration in the Thermometer, and the Hygrometer is not much turned towards moist, a violent gale of wind may be expected. When the Hygrometer inclines far toward;? moist, with only a triiiing descent in the Baro- 198 best's art or angling. .1.. .-■--» t - . . . . -* ■■!■■; ■■■— ■■»■ I I, Jl^^^— ■ ■ ■■■■^1 l_ meter, it denotes a passing shower and little wind; and when the Barometer falls considera- bly, and the Hygrometer turns much towards moist, the Thermometer remaining stationary, and rather inclining to rise than fall, both vio- lent wind and rain are likely to follow in the course of a few hours. ADDENDA. THE Barometer is highest during a long frost, and generally rises with a North-East-Wind: it is lowest during a thaw following a long frost, and is often brought down by a South- West- Wind. When the Barometer is near the high extreme for t^'e season of the year, there is very little pro- bability^ of immediate rain. When the Barometer is low for the season, there is seldom a great weight of rain, though a fair day in such a case i;^ rare : the general tenor of the weather at such times is, short, heavy and sudden showers, with squalls of wind from the S. W. orN.W. In summer after a long continuance of fair weather, with the Barometer high, it generally fails gradually, and for one, two, or more days before there is much appearance of rain; if the fall be sudden and great for the season, it will be probably followed by Thunder. When the appearances of the sky are very promising for fair, and the Barometer at the same time low; it may be depended upon the appearance will not continue so long: the face of the sky changes very suddenly on such occa- sions. Very daik and dense clouds pass without rain when the Barometer is high : whereas when the TO JUDGE OF THK BAROMETER. 1^9 Barometer is low, it sometimes rains, without almost any appearance of clouds. All appearances being the same, thehigher the Barometer is, the greater the probability of fair weather. Thund-er is almost always preceded by hot weather, and followed by cold and showery weather. A sudden and extreme change of temperature of the atmosphere, either from heat to cold, or cold toheat^ is generally followed by rain within 24 hours. In winter during a frost if it begins to snow, the temperature of the air generally rises to S2 degress of the Thermometer, and continues there whilst the snow falls; after which if the weather clears up, expect severe cold. The Aurora Borealis, is a prognostic of fair weather. Dr. Kirvan has deduced from a variety of meteorological observations (to which he has had access) made in England between the year 3 677 and 1788 the following probabilities or hints towards forming prognostics of the weather, viz. " That when there has been no storm before or after the sprujg equinox, the ensuing summer is generally dry ; at least five times in six. " That wlien a storm happens from any Easterly point, either on the IQih, 20th, or 21st, of March the succeeding summer is generally dry, four times in five. " That when a storm arises, on the 25th, 2nth, or 27th, of March, and not before in any point; the succeeding summer is generally dry, four times in five. " If there be a storm at S. W. or \V. S W. on the i9th, 20th, or 22d of March the succeeding summer is generally wet; five times in six." 200 best's art of angling. In September and October, the Winter-con- stitution of the air begins to shew itself. The great falls of the Barometer, from October to April, are from £9,5 to 28,5, sometimes lower. From April to October it seldom falls lower than £9,5 ; it therefore follows, that a fall of one inch during the Summer, is as sure an indica- tion of rain, as a fall of between two or three tenths is in the Winter. 1 shall now conclude, with a few lines which I have by me, in manuscript^ written by a very ingenious angler. The months o'er -which the nearer Sun displays His warmer influence, and directer rays. Are most propitious to the angler's toil. And crown his labours with the largest spoil. When birds begin in brisker notes to sing And hail with cheerful voice returning spring; When western winds in cooling breezes fly, And brush with downy wings the brighten'd sky ; Wlien tender buds their virent issue yield, And with their tender offspring grace the field ; Then let the angler, with delight and care, -^ His guileful arms and implements prepare, > Break Winter's truce, and wage the wat'ry war. J But when Autumnal blasts have stripp'd the wood, And o'er the ground its yellow honors strew'd ; When stormy Boreas re-assnmfts his reign And with malignant vapors dulls the plain ; Let him awhile his favorite sport forbear; Till, by the course of the revolving year, The fairer order of the months returns. And Nature with fresh bloom her face adorns : Then soon as morn has chas'd the shades of night, And streak'd the purple east with rosy light; Soon as the lark extends her early wings. And in the fragrant air her matin sins; The angler cheerful with the hopes of prey. Takes to the steaming brook his dewy way. FINIS. Piumiaer, Pnatcr, Sectliiug-Ldne, Loiidoa. V? t . , .■- l.~