together, with a little Honey, letting the Paste Lye all Night in a wet
Linnen Cloath, then fit it up in baits, and cover your Hook with it.

_To keep Baits for the Pike, or Night-hooks._

For this, take a small Roach, Dace, Loach, Minnow, Smelt, small Trout,
or Pearch, cutting off the Finns on the back, or small Eels well scoured
in Wheat-Bran, which will keep them better and longer, taking a way the
slime and watery substance, that causes them to rot or decay the sooner.

_Fishes Eyes._

Take out the Eyes of such Fish as you catch, and put three or four of
them on a Hook, and they will prove an excellent bait for most sorts of
Fish.

_Fat Bacon._

Cut this in little small Long snips, and especially at Snap, it is
exceeding good to take a Chub or Pike, from the latter end of _August_
to the beginning of _April_.

_The Pith of the Back-bone of a Sheep._

Take out the Pith that runs through the Back-bone, and take off the
Tough outward Skin, and leave the thin tender white Skin on, and bait
with about half an Inch of it, and it takes a Chevin to admiration.

_Grain, Wheat, Malt._

Bruise either of these finely, fry them in Honey, make them up into
Pasts with Oyl of Peter; and either in Winter or Summer they take Chub,
Roach, Dace or Bleak.

_How to bring Fish, if any in the Pond or River, to the place you
desire._

Boyl clean Barly in Water till it bursts, with Licorice, and a little
Mummy; add some Honey and beat them together in a Mortar into a stiff
Paste, and boyl about the quantity of a Wall-nut of this Paste with a
quart of Barly till it grows Glutenous, and then lay it for a ground
bait, and the Fish will flock about it from all parts.

_To make worms for Baits come out of the Ground._

Boyl an Ounce of Verdigrise in a quart of strong Vinegar, and Sprinkle a
little in places where you suspect Worms are, and they will Crawl out of
the Ground.

_Another approved Bait._

Take the Fat of a Heron, Mummy, and Galbanum; of each two drams, Scent
them with a Grain of Musk, and make them up with two Ounces of
_Aqua-vitæ_, stir them over a gentle Fire in an Earthen Vessel till they
become thick, and with this rub the Hook, and end of the Line, and the
Scent of it will draw the Fish to it; you must also have at the same
time a proper Bait on your Hook for such Fish as are in the place you
Angle.

_The Artificial Cod or Cad Bait._

Make the Body of yellow Bees-wax, and head of black Dubin and black
Silk, or you may make the Body of yellow washed Leather, Shamey or Buff,
and the head all of black Silk, and this is an Incomparable bait for
Trout, Salmon or Smelts, and those that are natural are most Excellent
baits for Trout, Grayling, Salmons, Tench, Roach, Chub, Dace, Carp,
Tench, Ruff, Bream and Bleak; but then you must Fish with it in clear
Water only.

_Rules and Considerations about Baits in general._

Fish in general take all such baits freely, as nature at that season
affords in or near the places where you Angle, for being used to them
they are not afraid of any deceit, but take them as their common food.
And for flies in this case, in a Morning or Evening, when you go to
Angle beat the bushes about the Rivers or Ponds, and such Flies as you
rouse there, Fish with, either Natural, or imitate them by Art; as also
see what Worms or other Insects fit for baits stick on the Leaves,
Grass, or are in the Water; and in this Observation you cannot miss of
good Sport; and when you have struck gently the backway, draw a little,
and be not too hasty to take up before the Fish has had her play and
spent her strength lest she break your Tackle. If your Fish be large,
you must use your Landing Net.

_To take Fish in the Night with a Light._

This is an Admirable way to supply you with a sudden Dish, _viz._ Take a
Glass in the form of a Urinal very deep, put as much Clay in the bottom
of it as will sink the Mouth of it within an Inch of the Water, floating
on pieces of Cork, tied about the Neck to keep it steadily upright, then
place a Candle in it, by sticking it in the Clay-socket, anointing the
out side of the Glass with Oyl of Asper. This Light will shine a great
way in a still Water, so that the Fish being amazed at so unusual a
Sight, will come out of their holes about it, and be detained with the
scent of the Oyl so long, that with a Hoop-net you may take great store
of them.

_Flies proper for every Month._

_For February_, little red brow Palmer flies, the Plain Hackle, the
Silver Hackle, the Gold Hackle, the great Dun, the great blew Dun, the
dark brown.

_For March_, the little whirling Dun, the early bright Brown, the
whitish Dun, the Thorn-tree fly, the blue Dun, the little black Gnat,
the little bright Brown.

_For April_, the small bright Brown, the little dark brown, the great
whirling Dun, the Violet Fly, the yellow Dun, the Horse-flesh-fly.

_For May_, the Dun-cout, the Green-drake, the Stone-fly, the black May
fly, the little yellow May Fly, the Gray-drake, the Camlet fly, the
Turkey Fly, the yellow Palmer, the black-flat Fly, the light-brown, the
little Dun, the white Gnat, the Peacock Fly, the Cow-Lady, the
Cowturd-fly.

_For June_, From the first to the 24th the Green Drake and Stone Fly,
the Owl fly, the Barn fly, the purple Hackle, the purple Gold Hackle,
the flesh Fly, the little flesh Fly, the Peacock fly, the Ant fly, the
brown Gnat, the little black Gnat, the Green-Grasshopper, the Dun
Grasshopper, the Brown Hackle.

_For July_, The Badger fly, the Orange fly, the little white Dun, the
Wasp fly, the Black Hackle, the Shell fly, the black brown Dun.

_For August_. The late Ant fly, the Fern fly, the white Hackle, the
Harry-long-Legs.

_For September_. The Cammel brown fly, the late Badger fly.

_For October_. The same Flies that were used in _March_.

_The best time to Angle in._

1. If in the hot Months, cloudy Weather is best, when a small Gale stirs
the Water.

2. When the Floods have carryed away the fish that sudden Showers
Incumbered the Water withall, and the River and Pond retains its usual
bounds, looking of a whitish Colour.

3. When a violent Shower has troubled or muddied the River, or a little
before the Fish spawn, at what time they come into the sandy Ground to
loosen their Bellies.

4. After Rains, when the Rivers keep their bounds, yet rise and run
swiftly, for then they seek shelter in Creeks and little Rivulets
running into the River.

5. Fish for Carp and Tench early, that is, before Sun rise, till Eight
in the Morning, and from four in the Afternoon till after Sun set. In
_March_, the beginning of _April_, and the latter end of _September_ and
all Winter, when there are no great Frosts, the Fish bite in the warm of
the day, the wind being still; but in Summer Months, Morning and Evening
is best.

6. Fish rise best at the Fly, after the shower has muddied or Clouded
the Waters, and Fish with Flies in generally _March_, _April_, _May_,
and the beginning of _June_, is the best for Trout; you may Angle in a
clear star light Night, for they are then roaving about for prey; he
bites best in muddy water, and the best time of Fishing for him is from
8 to 10 in the Morning, and from three till five in the Afternoon.

7. The Salmon Fishery is best in _May_, _June_, _July_, and _August_,
from three in the Afternoon till Sun set, and in the Morning as before.

8. The Barble bites best early in the Morning, till Ten or Eleven in
_May_, _June_, _July_, and the beginning of _August_.

9. The Pearch and Ruff bites best all day in cool Cloudy Weather.

10. The Carp and Tench bite early and late in the still parts of the
River; _June_, _July_, and _August_; as likewise do the Chevin, whose
chief bait is white Snails, and small Lamperies.

11. The Breem bites from Sun rise till nine or ten in the Morning in
muddy Water, especially the Wind blowing hard, for the most part;
keeping in the Middle of the Pond or River in _May_, _June_, _July_, and
_August_.

12. Angle for the Pike in clear Water, when it is stirred by a gentle
Gale in _July_, _August_, _September_, and _October_, and then he bites
best about three in the Afternoon; but all the day in Winter, and in
_April_, _May_, and the beginning of _June_, early in the Morning and
late at Evening.

13. The Roach and Dace bite all the day long at the Top of the Water at
flies natural, and Artificial, also at Grass-hoppers, and all sorts of
Worms, if the Water be shady.

14. The Gudgeon bites best in _April_, till she has Spawned in _May_, or
if the Weather be cold till Wasp time, and at the end of the year all
day long, near to a gentle Stream. Observe when you Angle for her, to
stir and rake the Ground, and the Bait will be taken the better.

15. The Flounder in _April_ bites all day, _May_, _June_, and _July_,
especially in swift Streams, yet he will bite, tho' not so freely in a
still Deep.

_Of Fish-ponds_.

Grounds most fit and proper to be cast into a Pond, are those which are
Marshy, or Boggy, or full of Springs, unfit for Grazing, or to be put to
any profitable use besides. Of these the last, full of Springs, will
yield the best Water; that which is Marshy will feed Fish; and what is
Boggy is best for a Defence against Thieves.

First draw by small Trenches all the Springs into one place, and so
drain the rest of the Ground; then mark out the Head of your Pond, and
make it the highest part of the ground in the Eye, tho' it be the lowest
in a Level: Cut the Trench of your Floodgate so, that when the Water is
let out, it may have a swift fall: On each side of which Trench drive in
stakes of Oak, Ash or Elm six foot long, and six Inches square; place
these in Rows near four foot distance, as broad and wide from the
_Floodgate_ as you intend the Head of your Pond shall go: Dig it in as
big and large a Compass as the Ground will permit; throw your Earth
amongst the said stakes, and ram it down hard till you have covered the
stakes: Drive in as many new ones next the first stakes, and ram more
Earth above them, with stakes above stakes till the head-sides be of a
convenient height: Taking care, that the inside of your Banks be smooth,
even, hard and strong, that the Current of the Water, may not wear off
the Earth.

Having thus digged eight foot deep, that so it may carry six foot Water,
pave the bottom and Banks of the Pond with Sods of _Flot-Grass_, laying
them close together, pin them down with stakes and windings: This Grass
is a great feeder of Fish, and grows naturally under Water. Stake to the
bottom of one side of the Pond Bavens and Brush-Wood-Faggots, into which
the Fish may cast their spawn. Lay Sods upon Sods, to nourish and breed
Eels.

The Pond being made, let in Water, and thus store it: Put Carp, Bream
and Tench by themselves: Pike, Pearch, Eel, and Tench (the Fishes
Physician) by themselves; for Food of the greater Fishes, put store of
Roach, Dace, Loach and Menow; and Lastly to one Melter, put three
Spawners, and in three Years the increase will be great, and in five
Years with difficulty be destroyed.

In 3 Years _Sue your Pond_; which you must continue to do, for the Roach
will increase in such abundance, that eating up the sweet food, will
make other Fish, as Carps, &c. be very lean: Therefore every Year view
your Pond, and observe if any such Fry appears, thin them.

_To make_ Carps _grow large_, &c.

About _April_, when your Pond is low rake the sides where the Water is
fallen with an Iron rake, sow _Hay-seeds_ there, rake it well; and at
the end of Summer you shall have store of Grass: In _Winter_ the Water
will over-top the Grass, and being Water enough for them, the Carps will
resort to the sides, and feed briskly, and grow fat: Thus do every
Summer, till you sue your Pond, and no River Carp can surpass them.

_FINIS._