A booke of fishing with hooke & line, and of all other instruments thereunto belonging. Another of sundrie engines and trappes to take polcats, buzards, rattes, mice and all other kindes of vermine & beasts whatsoeuer, most profitable for all warriners, and such as delight in this kinde of sport and pastime. Made by L.M.

To know how to plumbe your line.

YOur lines must be plumbed with leade, finely & thin beate, and lapt close about your line next your hooke, and the next leade to your hooke must be from your hooke a foote long or else somewhat more: and euerie plummet ought to be of the quantitie according to his line in bignes. There be thrée maner of plummets and plumbings, which is for a groundline lying, and another for a groundline run∣ning: and the third line is the flote line set vpon the ground line lying, with ten plummets ioyning altogether, run∣ning vpon the ground with xx. or tenne small plummets: and for the flote or corke line, leade or plumbe him so hea∣uie, that the least plucke of any fish may plucke it downe, and make the leades or plummets sincke: for them, make them round and smooth, small and close to the line at both endes, that they fasten not on wéedes in the water, which will be a let to your angling, and for the more vnderstan∣ding how they vse them, here shall be the figures.

[illustration]

There is also a line without corke to fish with, which they vse in some places in sommer to angle for the Darce, the Blcke, and the Trowt, which they vse to cast his line into the water, and still to drawe the line, so that he may

alwayes haue a sight thereof, and neuer let the hooke and bayte sincke to the bottome of the water out of sight: but alwaies casting and drawing or moouing the bayte, and kéeping it tight, that as soone as the fish doe bite, he giueth a tutch, and so kéepes his line tight, & lets the fish tyre her selfe on the hooke, and then takes her vp gently, this is the chiefest way to haue both line hooke & fish: for in snatching and striking hard when the fish bites, you put your line in daunger, or tearing the mouth of the fish, and sometimes so loose him.

There is also an other kinde of angling for the Pyke, which is calde dragging, your hooke beeing armed with wyer for shéering, when you would dragge for the Pyke, you shall take a small Roch, or a Gogin, and with a néedle of wood made thinne and flatte: put it in at the gille, be∣twixt the skinne and the bodie of the Roch, and so foorth at the taile, and drawe your armed wiar and hooke after, and place your hooke close vnder his gill, and so dragge for him as ye doe for the Darce. If it bee with a single hooke you shall put in your armed wiar at the mouth of the Roch or Gogin, and it will serue well enough, as ye may here sée by figure, there is to drag with a liue Frogge, and tie the double hooke vnder his necke and hippes.

The single hooke.

[illustration]

The double hooke vnder the gill.

[illustration]

The armed hooke

[illustration]

Ye may if ye lust, place your double hooke at the mouth of your fish as is declared of the single hooke: but then must you haue the bigger bayte, that the double hooke may lye or ioine close to the head of the baite, and then it will doe well.

There is another kinde of hooke, calde a proching hooke, which is made without a barke, this kinde or manner of

hookes are to put in a hole in the banke, or betwixt two bordes at a bridge or water, or betwixt two stones where they lie open, for there commonly lieth the great Yeles, and there put in your proch hooke a little way, and if there bee any yéeles, they will take it anon: which proch, is wier whipt on a packethreedes ende, and couered with a great worme, and therewith proch into the saide holes, as by ex∣ample for the better vnderstanding, ••o here may you see the figures.

The proch vnbaited.

[illustration]

* 1.1

The rod bayted with a worme.

As soone as ye féele she hath the baite, plucke away your rodde, for it doth nothing but guide your proch into y^e holes, and then draw softly your packthreed line, and hold a while and he will yéelde, if you do plucke hastely, he will holde so stiffe, ye shall breake your line, or teare his mouth: there∣fore holde hard still, and at length he will yeelde, and come foorth. And where ye shall see any hole in the buttome of a brooke or riuer, there is like to lie an yeele, put there in your proch, and he will soone byte if he be there. Thus much for the order of the proch hooke to take the Yeele.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The proch hooke with∣out out the rodde.