Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

you how to make them, and with what dubbing too, than he has taken notice of in his Complete Angler.

VIAT. I beseech you, Sir, do; and if you will lend me your steel, I will light a pipe the while ; for that is commonly my breakfast in a morning

[merged small][graphic]

CHAPTER IV.

PISCATOR.

WHY then, Sir, to begin methodically, as a master in any art should do; and I will not deny but that I think myself a master in this; I shall divide Angling for Trout or Grayling, into these three ways: At the Top; at the Bottom; and in the Middle. Which three ways, though they are all of them, as I shall hereafter endeavour to make it appear, in some sort common to both those kinds of fish; yet are they not so generally and absolutely so, but that they will necessarily require a distinction, which in due place I will also give you.

That which we call Angling at the Top, is with a fly at the Bottom, with a ground-bait: in the Middle, with a Minnow, or ground-bait.

:

Angling at the Top is of two sorts; with a quick fly, or with an artificial fly.

That we call Angling at the Bottom, is also of two sorts; by the hand, or with a cork or float.

That we call Angling in the Middle is also of two sorts; with a Minnow for a Trout, or with a groundbait for a Grayling.

Of all which several sorts of Angling, I will, if

you can have the patience to hear me, give you the best account I can.

VIAT. The trouble will be your's, and mine the pleasure and the obligation: I beseech you therefore to proceed.

PISC. Why then first of Fly-fishing.

[graphic]

CHAPTER V.

Of FLY-FISHING.

PISCATOR.

FLY-FISHING, or Fishing at the Top, is, as I said before, of two sorts; with a Natural, and Living Fly, or with an Artificial, and made Fly.

First then, Of the Natural Fly; of which we generally use but two sorts, and those but in the two months of May and June only, namely, the Greendrake, and the Stone-fly; though I have made use of a third that way, called the Camlet-fly, with very good success for Grayling; but never saw it angled with by any other after this manner, my master only excepted, who died many years ago, and was one of the best Anglers that ever I knew.

These are to be angled with, with a short line, not much more than half the length of your rod, if the air be still; or with a longer, very near or all out as long as your rod, if you have any wind to carry it from you; and this way of fishing we call Daping, Dabbing, or Dibbling, wherein you are always to have your line flying before you up or down the river as the wind serves, and to angle as near as you can to the bank of the same side whereon you stand; though where you see a fish rise near you, you may guide your quick fly over

him, whether in the middle, or on the contrary side; and if you are pretty well out of sight, either by kneeling, or the interposition of a bank, or bush, you may almost be sure to raise, and take him too, if it be presently done; the fish will otherwise, peradventure, be removed to some other place, if it be in the still deeps, where he is always in motion, and roving up and down to look for prey; though in a stream, you may always, almost, especially if there be a good stone near, find him in the same place. Your line ought in this case to be three good hairs next the hook, both by reason you are in this kind of Angling, to expect the biggest fish, and also, that wanting length to give him line after he is struck, you must be forced to tug for't; to which I will also add, that not an inch of your line being to be suffered to touch the water in dibbling, it may be allowed to be the stronger. I should now give you a description of those flies, their shape and colour, and then give you an account of their breeding, and withal shew you how to keep and use them; but shall defer that to their proper place and season.

VIAT. In earnest, Sir, you discourse very rationally of this affair, and I am glad to find myself mistaken in you; for in plain truth I did not expect so much from you.

Pisc. Nay, Sir, I can tell you a great deal more than this, and will conceal nothing from you. But I must now come to the second way of Angling at

« AnteriorContinuar »