The compleat angler being instructions how to angle for a trout or grayling in a clear stream.

CHAP. XII.

PISC.

Angling in the middle then for a Trout or Grayling is of two sorts.

• With a Pink or Minnow for a Trout: or,
• With a Worm, Grub or Caddis for a Grayling.

For the first, it is with a Minnow half a foot, or a foot within the Superficies of the water, and as to the rest that concerns this sort of an∣gling, I shall wholly refer you to Mr. Walton's direction, who is undoubtedly the best Angler with a Minnow in England; only in plain truth I do not approve of those baits he keeps in salt, unless where the Living ones are not possibly to be had (though I know he frequent∣ly kills with them, and peradventure more, than with any other, nay I have seen him refuse a living one for one of them) and much less of his artificial one; for though we do it with a counterfeit flie, me thinks it should hardly be expected, that a man should deceive a fish with a counterfeit fish. Which having said, I

shall only add, and that out of my own experi∣ence, that I do believe a Bull-head, with his Guill-fins cut off (at some times of the year especially) to be a much better bait for a Trout, than a Minnow, and a Loach much better than that, to prove which I shall only tell you that I have much oftner taken Trouts with a Bull-head or a Loach in their Throats (for there a Trout has questionless his first digestion) than a Minnow; and that one day especially, having Angled a good part of the day with a Minnow, and that in as hopeful a day, and as fit a wa∣ter, as could be wisht for that purpose, with∣out raising any one Fish; I at last fell to't with the worm, and with that took fourteen in a very short space, amongst all which, there was not to my remembrance, so much as one, that had not a Loach or two, and some of them three, four, five, and six Loaches, in his throat and stomach; from whence I concluded, that had I Angled with that bait, I had made a no∣table days work of't.

But after all, there is a better way of Angling with a Minnow, than perhaps is fit either to teach or to practice; to which I shall only add, that a Grayling will certainly rise at, and sometimes take a Minnow, though it will be hard to be believ'd by any one, who shall consi∣der the littleness of that Fishes mouth, very nnfit to take so great a bait: but is affirm'd by

many, that he will sometimes do it, and I my self know it to be true, for though I never took a Grayling so, yet a Man of mine once did, and within so few paces of me, that I am as certain of it, as I can be of any thing I did not see, and (which made it appear the more strange) the Grayling was not above eleven inches long.

I must here also beg leave of your Master, and mine, not to controvert, but to tell him, that I cannot consent to his way of throwing in his Rod to an overgrown Trout, and afterwards recovering his Fish with his Tackle. For though I am satisfied he has sometimes done it, because he says so; yet I have found it quite otherwise, and though I have taken with the Angle, I may safely say, some thousands of Trouts in my life, my top never snapt, though my Line still continued fast to the remaining part of my Rod (by some lengths of Line curl'd round about my top, and there fastned with waxt silk, against such an accident) nor my hand never slackt, or slipt by any other chance, but I almost always infallibly lost my Fish, whether great, or little, though my Hook came home again. And I have often wondred how a Trout should so suddainly dis∣engage himself from so great a Hook, as that we bait with a Minnow, and so deep bearded, as those Hooks commonly are, when I have

seen by the forenam'd accidents, or the slipping of a knot in the upper part of the Line, by suddain, and hard striking, that though the Line has immediately been recover'd, almost before it could be all drawn into the water, the Fish clear'd, and gone in a moment. And yet to justifie what he says, I have sometimes known a Trout, having carried away a whole Line, found dead three, or four days after with the Hook fast sticking in him: but then it is to be suppos'd he had gorg'd it, which a Trout will do, if you be not too quick with him when he comes at a Minnow, as sure and much sooner than a Pike; and I my self have also, once, or twice in my life, taken the same Fish with my own Flie sticking in his Chaps, that he had taken from me the day before, by the slipping of a Hook in the arming: but I am very confident a Trout will not be troubled two hours with any Hook, that has so much as one handful of Line left behind with it, or that is not struck through a bone, if it be in any part of his mouth only; nay, I do certainly know, that a Trout so soon as ever he feels himself prickt, if he carries away the Hook, goes immediately to the bottom, and will there root like a Hog upon the Gravel, till he either rub out, or break the Hook in the middle. And so much for this first sort of Angling in the middle for a Trout.

The second way of Angling in the middle, is with a Worm, Grub, Caddis, or any other Ground-bait for a Grayling, and that is vvith a Cork, and a foot from the bottom, a Grayling taking it much better there, than at the bottom, as has been said before; and this always in a clear water, and with the finest Tackle.

To which we may also, and vvith very good reason, add the third way of Angling by hand with a Ground-bait, as a third way of Fishing in the middle, which is common to both Trout, and Grayling, and (as I said before) the best way of Angling with a Worm, of all other I ever try'd whate∣ver.

And now Sir, I have said all I can at present think of concerning Angling for a Trout and Grayling; and I doubt not, have tir'd you sufficiently: but I will give you no more trouble of this kind, whilst you stay; vvhich I hope will be a good while longer.

Viat.

That will not be above a day lon∣ger; but if I live till May come twelve Month, you are sure of me again, either vvith my Master Walton, or without him, and in the mean time shall ac∣quaint him how much you have made of me for his sake, and I hope he loves me

well enough, to thank you for it.

Pisc.

I shall be glad Sir, of your good Company at the time you speak of and shall be loath to part with you now; but when you tell me you must go, I will then wait upon you more Miles on your way, than I have tempted you out of it, and heartily wish you a good Journey.

FINIS.