The angler's vade mecum, or, A compendious, yet full, discourse of angling discovering the aptest methods and ways ... for the catching all manner of fresh-water fish ... : together with a brief discourse of fish ponds, and not only the easiest but most palatable ways of dressing all sorts of fish ... / by a lover of angling.

Colour of hair for lines.

2. Hair of a sorrel or Chess-nut colour is best for ground Angle, especially in muddy waters, that being the colour of Gravel or Sand. The white and gray, or duskish white hair for the Fry, and running line in clear Rivers.

The pale watery green, but not a deep green, for weedy Rivers in the Summer; a black may do well for Rivers that immediately flow from Mosses, and are thereby very black.

3. Some (although I never do) dy their hair of what colour they please, which for a Brown, is thus done, viz.

Boil Walnut leaves, and a few Marigolds in Chamber-ly, or in stead thereof water and some Allum in it, and when cold steep the hair there∣in.

Some say, that the Inner bark of a Crab tree, boild in water with some Allum, makes a pure yellow Colour, which is only (if at any time) good when the Weeds rot.

4. If you'l have a palewater green, take a pint of strong Ale, half a pound of soot, a little quantity of juice of Walnut leaves, an equal quantity of Allum, put all together in a pot, pan or pipkin, boil them half an hour, being cold put the hair into it, and it will make the hair of a glass colour, or pale green Colour, the lon∣ger it lies the deeper's the colour; but if you'l have it rather a deeper green:

Take a Pottle of Allum water, a large hand∣ful of Marigold leaves, boil them till a yallow scum arise, then take half a pound of green coperas, as much Verdigrease, beat them into sine pouder, put those into the Allum water, set all to cool, then put in the hair, and let it remain till its deep enough colored, about 12 hours, then take it out, and lay it to dry: Note, that the lon∣ger you permit hair to be in it, it will be deep∣er colored; Some put in the hair while the li∣quor is hot, but I doubt, that weakens the hair, and indeed so, I think, does any dying.