For if with roots of trees, or weeds entwin'd, Some authors have, with cumbersome parade, Whole pages of inveigling baits display'd; But in six words the nice temptations lie Fair Paste(e), bright Worms(f), and well dissembled Fly(g). but small silk, laying 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 these fishing-hooks, some big, some little; and of these, some have peculiar names, as—1st, Single hooks.-2d, Double hooks; which have two bendings, one contrary to the other.-3d, Snappers, or Gorgers, which are the hooks to whip the artificial flies upon or bait with the natural fly.-4th, Springers, or Spring-hooks, a kind of double hook, with a spring, which flies open upon being struck into any fish, and so keeps its mouth open. (e) Paste-1. Take the blood of a sheep, and mix it with honey and flour to a proper consistence.-2d. Take old cheese grated, a little butter sufficient to work it, and But diff'rent baits at diff'rent times prevail, And what will one month take, the next will fail: Thus arm'd with implements of death beware Ill-omen'd seasons, and unfav'ring air; colour it with saffron; in winter use rusty bacon instead of butter.-3d, Crumbs of bread chewed, or worked with honey or sugar, moistened with gum-water. 4th, Bread chewed, and worked in the hand till it becomes stiff. (f) Worms.-1, The Earth-bob, found in sandy ground after ploughing: it is white with a red head; and bigger than a gentle. Another is found in heathy ground, with a blue head; keep them in an earthen vessel well covered and a sufficient quantity of the mould they harbour in: they are excellent from April to November.-2d, Gentles, to be had from bullock's liver; let them lie in wheat bran a few days before used.-3d, Flay-worms, found in the roots of flags; they are of a pale yellow colour, longer and thinner than a gentle, and must be scoured like them.-Cow-dung When SIRIUS drinks; and the defrauded mill Mourns empty springs, and all its wheels stand still; Bob, or Clap-bait, found under cow-dung, from May to Michaelmas: it is like a gentle, but larger; keep it in its native soil like the earth-bob.-5th, Cadis-worm or Cod-bait, found under loose stones in shallow rivers; they are yellow, bigger than a gentle, with a black or blue head, and are in season from April to July: keep them in flannel bags.-6th, Lob-worm, found in gardens: it is very large, and has a red-head, a streak down the back, and a broad tail.—7th, Marsh-worms, found in marshy ground: keep them in moss ten days before you use them; their colour is a blueish red; they are a good bait from March to Michaelmas.-Sth, Brandling Red-worms, or Blood-worms, found in rotten dung-hills or tanner's bark; they are small red worms, very good for all small fish, have sometimes a yellow tail, and are called Tag-tails. (g) Flies are either natural or artificial. 1. Natural flies are innumerable; but the most usual for fishing purposes are:-1st, Stone-fly, found under hollow stones at the sides of rivers, is of a brown colour, with yellow streaks on the back and belly, has large wings, and is in season from April to July-2d, Green-drake, found among stones by river sides, has a yellow body, ribbed with green, is long and slender, with wings like a butterfly, his tail turns on his back, and from May to Midsummer C When ether blazes, and the wat❜ry scene is very useful.-3d, Oak-fly, found in the body of an old oak or ash, with its head downwards, is of a brown colour, and excellent from May to September.-4th, Palmer-fly, or worm, found on leaves of plants, is commonly called a caterpillar, and when it comes to a fly is excellent for trout.— 5th, Ant-fly, found in ant-hills from June to September.— 6th, The May-fly is to be found playing by the river-side especially after rain.-7th, The Black-fly is to be found upon every hawthorn bush after the buds are fallen off. 2. The Artificial flies are seldom used but in blustering weather, when the waters are so troubled by the winds, that the natural fly cannot be seen, nor rest upon them. Of artificial flies there are reckoned no less than twelve sorts, of which the following are the principal:--1st, For March, the Dun-fly, made of dun-wool, and the feathers of the partridge's wing, or the body made of black wool, and the feathers of a black drake.-2d, For April, the Stone-fly: the body made of black wool, dyed yellow under the wings and tail.—3d, For the beginning of May, the Ruddy-fly, made of red wool, and bound about with black silk, with the feathers of a black capon hanging dangling on his sides next the tail.-4th, For June, the Greenish-fly: the body made of black wool, with a yellow list on either side, the wings taken off the wings of a buzzard, bound with black, broken hemp.-5th, The Or when fierce rains discoloured currents swell, For then close-shelt'ring weeds, or creeks obscure, But show'ry clouds, and southern gales excite Moorish fly: the body made of duskish wool; and the wings of the blackish mail of a drake.-6th, The Tawnyfly, good till the middle of June: the body made of tawny wool, the wings made contrary one against the other, of the whitish mail of a white drake.-7th, For July, the Wasp-fly: the body made of black wool, cast about with yellow silk, and the wings of drake's feathers.-8th, The Steel-fly, good in the middle of July: the body made with greenish wool, cast about with the feathers of a peacock's tail, and the wings made of those of the buzzard.—9th, For August, the Drake, the body made with black wool cast about with black silk; his wings of the mail of a black drake, with a black head. (h) Fishes and Insects.-1st, Minnow.-2d, Gudgeon.—3d, Roach.-4th, Dace.-5th, Smelt.-6th, Yellow Frogs.7th, Snail Slit.-8th, Grasshopper. |