is best which should be 4 yards and 9 inches of Cane and a top of Hasle and Whalebone of one Yard and half or an Ell long at least the stiffness of the Cane is helped by the length and strength of the top the proportionable bending whereof preserves the Line chiefly having got a Hasle top an Ell long cut off 5 or 6 inches at the small end then piece neatly to the remaining part a small piece of round smooth and taper Whalebone and whip it to the Hasle with waxed Silk all which will make the Rod to be long gentle and not so apt to break let not the Whalebone be above 6 inches long and thereunto whip a narrow but strong noose of hair to put your Line to 3. If your Hook fasten on Wood or Stones in the water take out the top and instead thereof put a stick of Hasle which hath 2 grains and follow the line therewith until you come to the Hook the line running betwixt the grains and it will loosen the Hook then take out the stick and put in the top again Best Rod for sly and running line in cleer water 4. A Rod for fly Angling or running line in a cleer water for Trout or Grayling should be of Hazel 6 inches of Whale-bone 5 yards and half or 6 yards long the Hazel of several pieces taper and proportionably fitted to each other so neatly piec't together with sine wax thread below and silk above as to make it taper and rush-grown like a switch and ply with a true bent to the hand But the neatest Rod is thus made get a white Deal or Fir board that 's thick and free from knots and frets and ten foot long let the Arrow maker divide this with a Saw into several breadths then with his Planes let him shoot them smooth and rush-grown or taper-wise and one of these will be 10 foot of the bottom of your Rod all in one piece then piece to it a Hazel 5 foot long proportioned to the Fir yet rush-grown the Hazel may consist of one or two pieces then to the Hazel piece a piece of Yew 20 inches long and to the Yew a piece of small round smooth whale-bone 5 or 6 inches long this will be a curious Rod if artificially work't be sure that the Deal for bottom be strong now the whiteness of the Deal or Fir will scare away Fish but you must colour the Fir in this following manner To colour the Fir-stock viz. warm the Firr bottom at the fire when finished by the Arrowmaker then with a Feather dipt in Aqua Fortis stroak the Rod and with your hand chase it into the Fir and it will make it a pure Cinnamon colour Roch c. Rod. 5. Rods for Roch Dace Tench Bream and Carp c. should not have the top so gentle as one for fly therefore make their tops pretty stiff that so the Rod may exactly answer the motion of your hand for Roch and Dace only nibble and if you strike not just in that very moment especially if you Fish with Paste or any very tender bait you miss them because a slender top folds and bends a little with a sudden Jerk 6. In droughts steep your Rod in water a little before you begin to Angle 7. At top of the Rod or Fin fix with Shoomakers Wax and Silk a noose or loop of hair not large but strong and very streight to fix your Line to Rods length 8. Generally length of Rod is to be governed by the breadth of the River you Angle in but always use a Rod full as long as the River will bear and let the same be very well mounted I never use a Rod under 5 yards and a half long and I find more advantages by it than I need to trouble you with here by telling them and although I generally Angle in a small River yet I use one of that length constantly Running Line top 9. Your top for running line must be gentle that the Fish may more easily and to himself insensibly run away with the Bait and not be scared with the stiffness of the Rod and if you make your top of Yew and Whalebone as before is directed it will conduce much to this purpose the Yew though much bended will quickly return to its former standing To preserve Rods. 10. To preserve Hasles whether stocks or tops from Worm-eating or rotting twice or thrice in a year as you think fit rub them all over with Sallet Oyl Tallow or sweet Butter which was never salted and with much rubbing chase the same into them and keep your rod dry least it rot and not too near the Fire least it grow brittle CHAP. II. Of Hair and Lines What hairs to elect for lines 1. ELect your hair not from lean poor or diseas'd Jades but from a Stone-horse or Gelding at least that is sat strong and lusty and of 4 or 5 years old and that which groweth from the inmost and middle part of his Dock and so extendeth it self downwards to the ground are commonly the biggest and strongest hairs about the Horse and better than those upon the upper part of or setting on of the tail generally best Horses have the best hair 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 therein 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 longer 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 handful 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
Chapter and but half length of Rod. Float or Cork lines length thickness 17. The Line for Float Angle should be made as that directed at the 14 Section of this Chapter for thickness but should be as long or rather longer than the Rod for Rivers but shorter then the Rod for Pitts Ponds Meares and standing Waters and the colour of three or four lowermost links according to the colour of the water that is a Chess-nut or Sorrel colour for a muddy water but a white or grey for cleer waters Dibbing line 18. Dibbing line should be of the same length and thickness of a line for running worm in a muddy water and the hair of a white colour or it may be a hair or two thicker because little of the line comes in the water and sometimes it may be as long as the Rod or near it 19. I have often for Ground Angle made my links of three Hairs to consist of two hairs of a sorrel or chesnut colour and one of white sometimes 2 white hairs and one of Chesnut or sorrel colour and do like it very well 20. At the bottom of every line have a small water noose or loop that you may hang a Hook of any size whipt to a line consisting of two or three links or change your Hook and two or three lowermost links as you please If it be a line of one hair next Hook let the noose be at a link of 3 hairs if a line for 3 hairs next Hook let the water noose be at a link consisting of 4 hairs I have been the more precise in describing the Lines because many Anglers understand them not and to their prejudice are not a little careless therein Trowling Line 21. Let the Trowling line be made of 4 or 6 fold of Hemp Yarn finely spun of the best Hemp and let the folds be neatly twisted together its length should be 15 or 16 yards and have also 2 yards next the hook of strong silk and neatly made CHAP. III. Of Hooks Floats Leading Lines Plums and the rest of the Anglers Tackle THE best Hooks are made by one Mr. Denton that lives about Barnsley in York shire and by John Perkin and William Perkin that live in Sadleworth in York-shire which 3 persons are very excellent Trout Anglers Hooks The Wyer of the Hooks should be small and such as will not stretch the points so well temperd that they will not become dull with Fishing but still preserve their keeness all which Dentons Hooks will perform The London Hooks are of too thick a wyer and of a compass that may suit a River abounding with Weeds by reason of their compass or bent they may more easily be loosed when entangled with Weeds which is all they are good for I totally reject them in fishing with Dub-fly or in stoney Rivers by reason they will quickly become dull 2. Let the Hooks be long in the shank and of a compass somewhat enclining to roundness but the point must stand even and straight and the bending must be in the shank for if the shank be straight the point will hang outward though when set on it stand right yet it will after the taking of a few Fish cause the hair at the end of the shank to stand bent and consequently the point of the Hook to hang directly upwards 3. Whether you Angle at top or bottom proportion your Hooks for strength and compass to the number of the Hair or Hairs you Angle with next Hook Whipping Hooks 4. When you set on the Hook which is stiled arming fixing or whipping of Hooks do it with small but strong silk well rubbed with Shoomakers Wax and lay your hair on the inside of the Hook for if on the outside the silk will cut and fret it asunder and it is not so apt to strike Fish and to avoid the fretting of the hair by the hook on the inside smooth all the hook on a whetstone from the inside to the back of the hook sloop-ways and from a straws bredth below the top of the hook wrap the silk about the bare hook until you come to the top of the shank then lay your line on the inside and whip with your silk downwards until you arrive almost at the bent of the hook and then cut off the end of the Gildard and faffen Whip your hooks for Angling with Worm with red colored silk but for paste cod-bait and other whitish baits with white colored silk and some do it with a white or red hair and some with flax or hemp but strong and small silk I like best How to arm a bristled hook you will see hereafter when we discourse of Cod-baits Proportion of Hooks Hooks for Dub-sly generally should be small so for Cod bait but larger for worm yet I like not Angling at worm with so large a hook as some do Floats 5. Floats should evermore be of Cork for Rivers but quill and Pens are best for Pits Ponds and standing waters being not able to bear the strong streams in Rivers and Angling near top in very flow Rivers and especially with Paste or tender Baits 6. Obtain the best Cork you can without Flaws or holes bore the Cork through with a small hot Iron then put into it a quill of a fit proportion neither too large to split it or so small to slip out but as it may stick in very closely then pare either with a sharp Pen-knife or Rasor the Cork into the form of a Pyramid small Pear Egg or Nutmeg and into what bigness you please then upon a small Grindstone or with a Putnice stone make it compleat for you cannot pare it so smooth as you may grind it have Corks of all sizes 7. After you have shaped your Cork bore with a small hot Iron a hole from end to end through the midst thereof into that hole thrust a quill and cut the Quill off even with the Cork at each End and through the Quil draw the line and fasten them both together with a wedg of the uppermost hard end of the Goose Quil the feather being stript off let the Wedge be two inches long and white which will be best discernable then place the smaller end of the Cork towards the hook and the bigger towards the rod that the smaller end sucking down with the hook the bigger may float aloft and bear the Wedg directly erect which when pull'd under the furface of the Water is the certain signal of the fishes biting unless by accident the hook or line become entangled or stayed by some stone piece of wood or weeds 8. Cork in form of a Nutmeg or Egg being biggest in the middest and small at each end is a little apter to sink and will not carry so weighty a plum of Lead yet on clear bottoms and Angling with bait some distance from ground in flow Rivers it will do very well and better than others 9. Furnish your self with Corks and Quills of all
clarified Honey temper them before the fire into a Past some omit the Bean and Wheat-flower 2. Take Sheeps Kidney Suet as much Cheese fine flower or Manchet make it into a Past and allay its stiffness with clarified Honey 3. Take Sheeps-blood Cheese Fine Manchet Clarified Honey make all into a Past 4. Take Cherries the stones being taken out Sheeps-blood fine Manchet and Saffron to colour it with and make a Past 5. Take the fattest old Cheese and strongest of the Rennet Mutton-Kidney Suet Wheat flower and Anniseed Water and if for Chub add some reasted Bacon beat all very small into a fine Past 6. Take the fattest old Cheese and strongest of the Rennet Mutton-Kidney Suet and Turmerick reduced into a fine pouder work all into a Past add the Turmerick only till the Past become of a very fine lovely yellow colour this is excellent for Chevin Observations on Past 7. In September and all Winter when you Angle for Chub Carp and Bream with Past let the bait be as big as a large Hazel Nut but for Roach and Dace the bigness of a large Pea or ordinary Bean is sufficient 8. You may add to any Past Assa fetida Oyl of Polypody of the Oak Oyl Ivy or the Gum of Ivy and many other things and try whether they will encrease the Sport 9. Into all sort of Pasts whatever beat Cotton Wooll shaved Lint or fine Flax into it which will make it stick well on the Hook and not wash off and if you would have the Past keep long put Virgins Wax and Clarified Honey into it 10. When you Angle with Past have a small Hook quick Eye a nimble Hand and Rod and that somewhat stiff too or both bait and Fish are lost and you must strike at the very first time you perceive them bite and Past is to be used in Pits Ponds Mears slow running Rivers or standing waters only Note that this Rule is General and holds in all very tender baits 11. Past is a very good bait for Chub Roch Dace Barbel Carp Tench and Bream and Bleak 12. When you Angle with Past or any very tender bait use a Float of Quill rather than of Cork 13. Some pound strong Cheese with fresh Butter and Saffron to colour it in a Mortar and make a Past thereof 14. Take Flower made of fine Manchet and Butter and Saffron to colour it and make a Past and you 'l find it an excellent Bait for Reck and Dace c. CHAP. VI. Oyntments to Alure Fish to the Bait. NEXT follow Oyntments and Receipts which I have read and been informed of by several knowing Anglers for the better furtherance of this Sport some whereof I have Experienced and tho I found them advantagious to my Recreation yet far from so high a degree as has been pretended to me nevertheless I shall present you with them and if you 'l be at the expence and labour of a Tryal you may Elect those for your daily use which on your own Experience you find to be the best and the first shall be one highly comended by Monsieur Charras Operator and Apothecary Royal to the present French King Lewis the 14. in his Pharmacopoeia printed at London part the second f. 245. 1. Take Mans Fat and Cats Fat of each half an Ounce Mummy finely poudred three Drams Cummin-seed finely poudered one Dram distilled Oyl of Annise and Spike of each six Drops Civet two Grains and Camphir 4 Grains make an Oyntment according â—o Art and when you Angle anoint 8 Inches of the Line next the Hook therewith and keep it in a pewter Box made something taper and when you use this Oyntment never Angle with less than three Hairs next Hook because if you Angle but with one hair it will not stick on 2. Take Gum Ivy and put thereof a good quantity into a Box made of Oak such as Apothecaries use of White-wood and long for Pills and chase and rub the inside of the box with this Gum and when you Angle put three or four Worms therein letting them remain but a short time for if long it kills them and then take them out and Fish with them putting more in their stead out of the worm-bag and Moss and thus do all day 3. To get Gum-Ivy at Michaelmas or Spring drive several great Nails into large Ivy stalks and wriggle the same till they become very loose and let them remain and a Gum will issue thereout Slit in the Spring and at Michaelmas several great Ivy stalks and visit them once a Month to see if Gum flow from the wounded part 4. Take Assa-faetida half an ounce Camphir two Drams bray them well together with some drops of Oyl Olive and put it in a pewter Box and use it as the first Receipt of this Chapter some instead of Oyl Olive use the Chymical Oyl of Lavender and Camomil and so ne add the quantity of a Nutmeg of Venice Turpentine to it 5. Take Venice Turpentine and best Hive Honey and Oyl of Polypody of the Oak drawn by Retort mix all together and use it as the first Receipt of this Chapter 6. Take Oyl of Ivy-berries made by expression or infusion and put some in a Box and use it as is directed in the second Receipt of this Chapter 7. Dissolve Gum Ivy in the Oyl of Spike and anoint the bait therewith 8. Put Camphir into the Moss wherein are the Worms the day you Angle 9. Dissolve two ounces of Gum Ivy in a gill of Spring water then mix these together in the like quantity of the Oyl of Sweet Almonds then take what quantity of Worms you intend to use that day first well scoured in Moss and put them in linnen Thrums first well washed in Spring water and squeez'd then wet the same Thrums in this Composition and put the Thrums and Worms into a Linnen bag and use them 10. Take Assa faetida 3 Drams Spikenard of Spain one Dram put them in a Pint of Spring-water let them stand in a shady place 14 days in the ground then take it out and strain it through a linnen cloth and put to the liquor one Dram of Sperma Cati and keep it close in a strong glass Bottle and when you go to Angle take what quantity you intend to use that day of Worms first well scowrd in Moss and put them upon a pewter Sawcer and powr a little of this water upon them then put them in the Moss again and use them 11. Take Juyce of Camomil half a spoonful Chymical Oyl of Spike one Dram and Oyl of Comfrey by Infusion one Dram and an half Goose Grease two Drams these being well dissolved over the Fire let stand until cold then put it into a strong Glass Bottle which let be unstopt 3 or 4 days then stop it very well when you Angle anoint the same therewith 12. Take a handful of Housleek half a handful of inner green bark of the Ivy stalk pound these
deeper body then Male the best are usually red or yellow and some white yet good but those rarely sound some Soils nourâ—sh them better than others for in the same River you shall in one Field catch one lank lean and with a great Head and in the next Field one full thick lusty fat and with a small Head they dye quickly after taken but the Eel Carp and Tench live long out of their proper Element they and Salmons will miraculously pass thorough and over Weares Wood-gates small Cataracts and Fish garths they are a greedy devouring and ravenous Fish and in their season nimble quick and strives long and vigorously for their lives and will run among roots weeds or any thing to entangle the Line or break it and when struck will endeavour to run to the end of the Line they like a large Bait at ground and his ground-bait must drag on the ground flyes they take most at top of the water or within 3 or 4 inches of it with Minnow or Loach he 's caught within a foot off the surface of the Water and sometimes lower by trouling they are no long-lived Fish at full growth they decline in body and grow in the Head until death Baits for the Trout 4. Principal Baits for Trouts at the ground are Worm Brandlings Giltails Tag-tail Meadow and Red-Worm but for a mighty Trout the Dew-Worm the two first are the principal Worms for him all the year both in clear and muddy waters the others for waters discoloured with Rain then a Cod-bait which is either for top or bottom so is the Clap-bait and the Water-cricket he takes the Palmer-fly or Wool-bed and all sorts of Flyes both natural and artificial at top of the Water especially the Palmer-fly Water-cricket stone-fly green Drake and Ash-fly he will likewise take a Cod-bait and Clap-bait that are Counterfeited with yellow Wax Shammy or Buss as before is directed sometimes he takes the Oak-worm and Haw-thorn-worm at top of the Water The Menow Bull-head his Guil Finns cut off and the Loach especially are excellent baits in a cleer water for great Trouts in March April and September about midwater to troul with in the Streams or on Windy days in the deep He will also take all sorts of Bobs Palmers Caterpillars Gentles Dores the young brood of Wasps young Humble-bees Hornets Beetles their Legs and uppermost Wings cut off and Grass hoppers his Leggs and outmost Wings cut likewise off as the Brandling Giltail Tag-tail Meadow-worm Red-worm and Dew-worm are the best Worms for the ground Angle to be suited respectively to the Temperature and colour of the River although the Brandling and Giltail are for either muddy or cleer waters and perhaps the best so is the Cod-bait Clap-bait Water-Cricket Palmer-worm stone-Fly Green-Drake Oak-Fly and Artisicial Fly the best for the Trout at the top of the Water when cleer Dibble with the Water-Cricket Stone-Fly Green-Drake Grass-hopper and Sharn-bud as they severally come in Season dib also with the Oak-fly and a Cod-bait at point of the Hook and let them sink half a foot or a foot within water and its a dead bait for a Trout also a Clap-bait and artificial Head and Wings with a bristled Hook as Cod-bait is used is excellent for top Of each of these particular Baits see more in the Chapter of Baits The ways to Angle for them 5. The way to Angle for Trout at ground is with the running line without any float or he 's caught by Float-Angling at ground at mid-water by Trowling at top of the water by dibbing and the cast-fly of all which ways see more hereafter Biting time 6. A Trout bites best in a muddy rising water or in a water that is clearing after a Flood or in dark cloudy or windy weather early in the morning from a little after Sun-rising till about half an hour after ten and from about two a clock in the afternoon till six and sometimes in the evening but 9 a clock in the forenoon and 3 in the afternoon are his chiefest and most constant hours of biting at Ground or Fly as the water suits either March April May and part of June are his chiefest Months tho he bites well in July August and September After a shower in the evening he rises well at Gnats When he takes Minnow and Loach Vide Antea 7. In little Brooks which fail into large Rivers where it libbs and Flows only in fresh waters or a little brackish if you begin at the mouth of such Brooks just as the Tide cometh in and goeth up the Brook with the Head of the Tide and return with the Ebbing of the water you will take good Trouts and have much sport and if the Tide do not muddy the water they will also rise at the Fly at such a time 8. Vid. Cap. 9. Sect. 12.17 and 18. 9. In small clear Brooks if you come in or immediately after a shower that hath raised the water or take it just as any Mill water beginneth to come down and so go along with the course of the water Trouts will then bite well because they expect the water will bring down food with it and they come forth to seek it but in small Brooks when the Mills stand and keep up the Water you 'l have little or no sport at ground especially and but little with Fly for the Trout at such a time is fearful and dares scarce venture out of hold 10. When you Angle for Salmon or Trout and all day long have had little or rather no sport either at ground or fly next night especially at the beginning of it and until midnight or near it they will not fail to bite either at ground or fly as the season or water suits best for either freely and eagerly if the weather be not nipping cold or frosty 11. When you Angle for Trout with fly or ground-bait you need not make above 3 or 4 tryals in one place for he will then either take it or make an offer or not stir at all 12. When Rains raise the Rivers and almost continually keep them equal with their banks or above their ordinary height Trouts leave Rivers and larger Brooks and fly into such small Brooks as scarce run at all in Summers that are dry in such Brooks Angle for them Trouts generally quit the great Rivers at Michaelmas and go into small Rills or Rivulets to Spawn and are frequently there destroyed by idle loose and disorderly fellows with groping or otherwise which does more injury to the breed of Fish than all the Summers Angling for then they take all the Spawning Trouts Thus I have known a River very plentifully stored with Trouts in 3 or 4 years utterly spoiled 13. When you Angle for Trout or Salmon with Worm or at ground let your Bait drag on the ground as little as may be but touch the ground it must especially for Trouts but Mr. Cotton advises when you Angle with a float to let the
the Warp twitch off the superfluous hairs of your Dubbing leave the Wings of an equal length otherwise your Fly will never swim true and the Work is done thus you are to make the Dub-fly but your Palmer fly is made of a Capon or Cocks hackle twirled on Silk and warpt about the hook and without any Wings and sometimes a little Dubbing under Rules for Dub-flies and its Angling 1. In making Dub-sties chiefly observe and imitate the Belly of the Fly for that colour Fish most take notice of as being most in their eye and let the Wings of the Fly always be of an equal length else the Fly will not swim right and true 2. When you try how to fit the colour of the Fly wet the Dubbing lest you be mistaken for although when dry they exactly suit the colour of the Fly yet the water alters most colours and will make them brighter or darker 3. Always make your Dub-flies on a Sun-shine day and to know the exact colour of your Dubbing hold the same betwixt your eye and the Sun and you 'l far better discover the true colour of the Dubbing then only by looking on it in the hand in the house dark day or a shady place 4. Never let the tail of the Dub-fly descend lower than until you come to the bend of the hook and not into the hooks bent as they generally do in the South and so make very inartificial and unnatural Flies 5. When Trouts often shew themselves at your Fly and yet do not take it be assured that either the day or water is improper for Fly or which is far more probable your Dub-fly is not of the right colour of shape they then cover 6. Some always advise to Dub with Silk of the most predominant colour of the Fly but we generally dub Duns with yellow Silk and our Browns with red Silk and at September with Violet Silk or Horse-flesh coloured Silk 7. Flies made of the hair of Bears Hogs Squirrels tail Camels Dogs Foxes Badgers Cows Calves skins tewed abortive Calves and abortive Colts skins tewed out landish Cadows are more natural lively and keep colour better in the water then Flies made of Crewels and many sort of Worsted Stuffs which are of a dead and dull colour in the water 8. The feather got from the quill of a Shepstare Stare or Starlings wing is the best Feather generally to be used in dubbing and better than the Drake feather 9. The Stone fly the green-Drake Thorn-tree fly green tail Dun-cut yellow dun dan brown early bright brown later bright brown great dun little whirling dun great whirling dun Badger-fly Ant-fly black May-fly yellow May-fly Camlet-fly and the Palmer-fly Silver Hackle and Gold Hackle are Flies sufficieâ— to be furnished with the Hackles and the Stone-fly being the very ground of all Fly Angling 10. When you Angle with Dub-fly it must be in a River either clear or almost clear after Rain or in a Moorish River discoloured by Moss or Bogs or else in a dark cloudy day when a gentle gale of Wind moves the water but if the Wind be high yet so as you may guide your tools they will rise well in the plain Deeps and then and there you 'l commonly kill the best-Fish but if the Wind be little or none at all you must Angle in the swife Streams 11. Keep your Dub-fly in continual motion tho' the water or day be dark or wind blow otherwise tho Fish will discern and refuse it 12. Angling in Rivers discoloured by Rain or passing through Mosses or Bogs or if the water be dark or very full use a larger bodyed Fly than ordinary 13. If the water be clear and low use a small bodyed Fly with slender Wings 14. If the day be clear use a light coloured Fly with slender body and wings 15. In dark weather as well as dark water the Fly must be dark 16. As Summer approaches and water clears Flies generally are made smaller and brighter 17. When you Angle with Dub-fly your Rod should be no less than 5 yards and half long and the line twice so long unless the water be encumbred with Wood or Trees 18. Same advise for every Fly to have 3 one of a lighter colour another sadder and a third the exact colour of the natural Fly by which means you may the better adapt them to the colour of the Water and Sky 19. Fish rarely take the Dub-fly in any flow River whose bottom or ground is slime or mud for in great droughts Fish bite but little in any Rivers but nothing in slimy Rivers whose Mud is not cool'd by the swiftness of the Currant but in sandy gravelly stony or rapid Rivers you may catch Fish at that time 20. You must have a quick eye a nimble Rod and Hand and strike with the rising of the Fish or they find their mistake and putteth out the hook again others are of Opinion never to offer to strike a good Fish if he do not strike himself till first you see him turn his head after he has taken the Fly and then say they The tackle will not strain in striking if moderately you strike 21. When you cast the Fly wave the Rod with a small circumserence about your head else the Fly will be apt to jeck or snap off 22. When you see a Trout rise cast the Fly behind him and then gently draw it over his head and if of the right colour you scare him not he 's your own 23. In casting the Fly do it always before you so that the Fly may first fall upon the water otherwise it will scare the Fish and as little of the Line with it as possible and without circling the water though if the wind be stiff you will then be compelled to drown a great part of the line to keep the Fly in the water and endeavour to have the Wind on your back and Sun in your face if you can but the windings and turnings of the River will render that impossible 24. When you Angle in slow Rivers or still places with the Dub-fly cast your Fly ever cross the River and let it sink a little in the water and draw him gently back again so as you break not the water or raise any circles or motions thereon and let the current of the River carry the Fly gently down with the Stream and this is the best way in slow slimy bottom Rivers for the Dub-fly 25. Stand always as far off the bank as the line will give leave for to Fish fine and far off is the great Rule in Fly Angling 26. In Frost and Snow or excessive cold weather in the Spring Angle with the smallest Gnats Browns and Duns you can make 27. For stony clear crystalline Rivers Flies generally are made with slender body and wings but in dark discoloured and full waters the contrary 28. When you know not certainly what Fly is taken or cannot see Fish rise then put on a small Hackle