Of Keeping Baits
For the keeping and preserving all quick Baits, you must keep them separately as they are several, not altogether; and feed them with that they most delight in; as for instance, in short:
The Red-Worm, must be kept in a bag of Red Cloth, with a handful of chopt Fennel, mixt with half so much fresh, black and fertile Mould, will scoure and preserve them: All other Worms, with the Leaves of Trees they are bred on, renewing them often in a day. Only the Cad-bait, Bob and Canker, &c. must be kept in the same things you find them.
The great White Maggots, keep them in Sheeps-Tallow, or little bits of a beasts Liver; and to scoure them, hang them warm in a bag of Blanketing with Sand.
The Frogs and Grasshoppers, in wet Moss and long Grass, frequently moistned; and when used, the Legs of the first, and the Wings of the other must be cut close off.
The Flies use them as you take them. Only the Wasps, Hornets and Humble-Bee, must be dryed in an Oven, their heads dipt in Sheeps blood, and dryed again, may be kept in a Box for use.
Thus much shall suffice for the Anglers Tools and Baits, I shall now lead him to his Sport, having first Clad himself with all inward and outward Ornaments.
Inward, In having his Mind cloathed with these Qualifications, viz.
1. Learning, throughly to understand his Art, and skilfully argue and dispute its Excellency, &c.
2. Faith, to enjoy the Benefit of his Expectation.
3. Love, to his Pleasure, not thinking it irksom and tedious, to his Neighbour, in not offending him.
4. Patience, In not excruciating himself for Accidents of Losses, &c.
5. Humility, in wetting himself, lying down, kneeling, &c. as Occasion requires.
6. Liberality, in dispencing to others the Fruits of his Labour.
Outward, In cloathing his body with plain and comely Apparel, of sad dark Colours, as sad grayes, tawny, purple, hair or Musk Colour. Warm and well lined, to prevent the Evils which the Coldness of the Air, or Moistness of the Water may produce.
And now thus equipt let us walk to the Rivers side, there give me leave to direct you in the Measures you must take and observe, for the obtaining the End of what all our forementioned Preparations aime at; I mean the Catching those sundry kinds of Fish I enumerated at the begining of this Discourse; and observing that first method, I shall Alphabetically describe, what Baits are most Proper for taking them, and How to use them.
To begin then with the Barbel. The best time for Angling for this Fish is at the latter end of May, June, July, and beginning of August, in his Haunts aforementioned; and the best Bait (omiting others) is the well-scoured Lob-Worm (being of a curious cleanly Palate as well as shape) or Cheese steept an hour or two in clarified Honey. He is a subtile Fish, extraordinary strong, and dogged to be dealt with, and therefore be sure to have your Rod and Line strong and long, or you may endanger to break it.
The Breame is next in order; The most seasonable time to Angle for him is from St. James tide till Bartholomew tide. He spawneth in June or begining of July; is easily taken, as falling on his side after one or two gentle turnes, and so drawn easily to Land. The best Bait for him is that (most delightful to him) Red-Worme (found in Commons & Chalky Grounds after Rain) at the root of a great Dock, wrapt up in a round Clue. He loves also Paste, Flag-Wormes, Wasps, Green-Flies, Butter-Flies, and a Grass-hopper, without Leggs.
Bait your Ground the night before with gross-ground Malt, boiled and strained, and then in the morning with the Red-Worm, bait your Hook, and plumbing your Ground within half an Inch, Fish.
The Bleak, an eager Fish, is caught with all sorts of Worms bred on Trees or Herbs, also with Flies, Cad-bait, Bobs, Paste, Sheeps-Blood, White Snails, Wasps, Gnats, &c. In a warm clear day the small Flye at the rim of the Water is best; In a Cloudy day, Gentles or Cadis two foot under the Water.
The Bull-head or Millers-thumb, being Childrens Recreation, I shall speak little of, only being serviceable for Baits, I shall only say he is easily taken with a small Worm, being lazie and simple, and will swallow any thing; and the Minnow, Loach, and Bansticle being of the same diet, I place here too.
The Chevin, loveth all sorts of Worms, Flies, Cheese, Grain, and Black Worms, their Bellies being slit, that the White may be seen: And very much delighteth in the Pith of an Oxes back, the tough outward skin being carefully taken off, without breaking the inward tender skin. In the Morning early angle for Chevin, with a Snail; in the heat of the day, with some other Bait; in the afternoon with the Fly; the great Moth, with a great Head, yellow Body, and whiteish Wings, usually found in Gardens, about the Evening: The larger the Chevin, the sooner taken; loving his Bait large, and variety on a Hook.
The Char is a Lancashire Fish, found in a Mere, called Winander-Mere in that County, the largest in England; and being to be found no where else, I shall not lead my London Angler thither to teach him to take it.
The Chub, called by some a Cheven, by others a Villain, is a Fish of no rare Meat; however, is good for a young Angler, and is thus to be taken: Bait your hook with a Grass-hopper, find the Hole where he lies, accompanied in a hot day, with twenty or more, floating almost on the very superficies of the Water; choose which you think best, and fairest, and drop your Hook some two foot before him, and he will bite at it greedily, and cannot break hold with his Leather Mouth; let him play and tire, lest you break your Line. If you cannot get a Grass-hopper, then any Worm, or Fly you will. In cold Weather, fish for him near the Bottom, and the Humble-Bee is the best Bait. Some appropriate Baits according to the Month, but I shall Omit that; The Chub (being best and in his Prime in the Winter, and then excellent meat Baked) a Paste made of Cheese, and Turpentine, is the only Bait to take him.
The Carp is subtle, and full of Policy, will never bite in Cold Weather, but in Hot you cannot be too Early, or too Late. In March, he seldome refuseth the Red-Worme, in June the Cadice, and the three next Months the Grass-hopper: Pastes that are sweet, of which I have spoken before, are very delightfull to Carps: And especially; if you Bait your ground two or three dayes before you angle, with Pellets of course Paste, Chickens-guts, Garbage, &c. Gentles anointed, and a Piece of Scarlet dipt in Honey, put them on the Hook, is an approved way.
The Dace, Dare, Rudd, and Roach, being much of a kind, and feeding, I shall put together, and are easily taken with small Worms, Bobs, Cadbaits, Flies, sheeps-Blood, all sorts of Worms, bred on Trees or Herbs, Paste, Wasps, Gnats, Lipberries, &c. The Heads of the Wasps, being dipt in Blood, is good for Dace, and Dare; as is likewise the Ant-flie.
The Eel, takes great Red-worms, Beef, Wasps, Guts of Fowl, or Fish, Menow, small Roaches are good Bait for Night Hooks; the Hooks being in the Mouth of the Fish. Now because this is very delightfull to most, I shall prescribe three wayes of taking them, as are most full of Pleasure. The first way is called, Sniggling, or Broggling for Eels, thus: Take a strong Line and Hook, baited with a Lob, or Garden-Worm, and observing where Eels lurk in the day time, with a stick forked at the Top, gently put your Bait into the Hole, and if there be any Eels there, you will not fail of a Bite, of as large Eels as can be had, but pull not too hard lest you spoyl all. The second is called Bobbing, which is thus done: Take some large well scowred Lobs, and with a Needle, run some strong twisted Silk through them, from end to end, so many as are enough to wrap about a Board near a dozen times; tye them fast with the two ends of the Silk to hang in so many Hanks; then fasten all to a strong Cord, and a handfull above the Worms fasten a Plumb of three quarters of a pound, and your Cord to a strong Pole, and in muddy Waters, you may Fish, and find the Eels tug lustily, and when you think they have swallowed them, draw up your Line, and a-shore with them. Lastly, the Eel-Spear made with four Teeth, jagged on both sides, stricken into the Mud, on the bottom of a River, and if you chance to strike where they lye, you infallibly take.
There is likewise an assured way of taking Eels, approved to excel any other, thus done: Take some Bottles of Hay, mixt with green Osiers, or Willows, Bait them with Sheeps Guts, or other Beasts Garbage, sink them down in the middle, to the bottom of your Pond, or by the Bank-sides, having fastned a Cord to the Bottles, that you may twitch them up at your pleasure, and all the best Eels will resort to them, and you may take abundance.
The Flounder, Shad, Thwait, Suant, and Mullet, are taken with Red-Worms of all sorts, Wasps, and Gentles.
The Grayling is next; In Angling for which, you must head your Hook upon the shank, with a very slender and narrow plate of Lead, that the Bait (a large Grass-hopper) may the more easily come over it; and at the point put a Cadbait, and keep the Bait in continual motion; not forgetting to pull off the Grass-hoppers Wings.
The Gudgeon, takes the smallest Red-Worm, Wasps, Gentles, and Cadbaits. When you Fish for him, stir up the Sand or Gravel with a Pole, which will make them gather thither, and bite more eagerly.
The Guiniad, I shall remit speaking to, only mentioning it in course, being no where found, but in a place called, Pemble-Mere, in which place they abound, as the River Dee does with Salmon.
The Pope, or Ruff, is excellent for a young Angler, bites greedily, and quantities may be taken, by Baiting the Ground with Earth, and your Hook with small Red Worms.
The Pike, loveth all sorts of Baits (unless the Fly) Gudgeon, Dace, Roaches and Loaches; and young Frogs in Summer time, of which the yellowest is best.
The Pearch, taketh all sorts of Earth-worms, especially the Lob-worm, and Brandling, well scowred, Bobs, Oak-worms, Dors, Gentles, Cole-wort-worms, Wasps, Cadbaits, and Menow, or a little Frog, the Hook being fastned through the skin of his Leg, towards the upper part of it. Be sure you give the Pearch time enough to pouch his Bait, before you strike.
The Salmon, is taken best with Lob-worms, scented with the Oyl of Ivy-berries, or the Oyl of Polypody of the Oak mixt with Turpentine: Or the well-scowred Garden-worm, is an excellent Bait: The Salmon bites best in May, June, and July, at three a Clock in the Afternoon, if the Water be clear, a little Wind stirring, especially near the Sea.
The Tench, is a great lover of large Red Worms, first dipt in Tar. As also all sorts of Paste, made up with strong scented Oyls, or Tar, or a Paste made up of Brown Bread, and Honey. He will bite too at a Cad-worm, Lob-worm, Flag-worm, green Gentle, Cadbait, Marsh-worm, or soft boil’d Bread-grain.
The Torcoth, being before mentioned, I only let you know, that he is only found, in the Pool Linperis in Carnarvan-shire; and leave you to the Welch-mens description, both of him and his Bait.
The Trout, is fattest, and in his prime in May, and is caught with all sorts of Worms, especially Brandlings, commonly found in an Old Dung-hill, Cow-dung, Hors-dung, or Tanners-bark: Also with Flies, Natural and Artificial, with young Frogs, Menow, Marsh, Dock or Flag-worms; all sorts of Cad-bait, Dors, Bobs, Palmers, Gentles, Wasps, Hornets, &c. and with the Catterpiller, used according to the Rule before prescribed for the Grayling.
Lastly, The Umber, endeth our Alphabet, and Discourse of Fishing too, and gives me occasion to add no more, but that he is taken as the Trout, just now mentioned; And therefore now to your Sport: To assist your well effecting which, I have but this to add; Cast into your Haunts where you use to Fish, once in four or five dayes, soft boyled Corn (or oftner for Carp, and Tench) Also Garbage, Beasts Livers, chopt Worms, Grains steept in Blood, to attract them to the place; and to keep them together, throw in half a handfull of Grains of ground Malt: But in a stream, cast it above your Hook, that floating towards you may draw the Fish thither.
Before I conclude, I was afraid this discourse would have been imperfect, had not something been spoken of Fish-ponds, their Ordering, and Improving, that the private Gentleman may not be destitute of some appropriated place to himself, wherein he may Recreate himself in this excellent Pastime; great Rivers belonging either to the King, or to Lords of Mannours, whose Authorities and Jurisdictions must be kept inviolate, and excludes our Intrusion there.