I will end it by But whither am I strayed in this discourse. telling you, that at the mouth of some of these rivers of ours, Herrings are so plentiful, as, namely, near to Yarmouth in Norfolk,* and in the west country Pilchers so very plentiful, as you will wonder to read what our learned Camden relates of them in his "Britannia." + Well, scholar, I will stop here, and tell you what by reading and conference I have observed concerning fish-ponds. DOCTOR LEBAULT, the learned Frenchman, in his large dis CHAP. XX. Of Fish-Ponds. read it at large as useful.§ course of Maison Rustique, gives this direction for making of fish-ponds. I shall refer you to him, to but I think I shall contract it, and yet make it He adviseth, that when you have drained the ground, and made the earth firm where the head of the pond must be, that you must then, in that place, drive in two or three rows of oak or elm piles, which should be scorched in the fire, or half burnt, before they be driven into the earth; for being thus used, it preserves them much longer from rotting. And having done so, lay fagots or bavins of smaller wood betwixt them and then earth betwixt and above them and then, having first very well rammed them and the earth, use another pile in like manner as the first were and note, that the second pile is to be of or about the height that you intend to make your sluice or floodgate, or the vent that you intend shall convey the overflowings of your pond in any flood that shall endanger the breaking of your pond-dam. Then he advises, that you plant willows or owlers,1 about it, or both and then cast in bavins, in some places not far from the VARIATION.] 1 osiers. Strange beasts from Afric, which yet want a name, -Grotius. His Sophompaneas or Joseph, a tragedy, by Francis Goldsmith, Esq., 12m0, * The town of Yarmouth is bound by charter to send annually to the Sheriffs of Norwich a hundred herrings, which are to be baked in twenty-four pies or pasties, and delivered to the lord of the manor of Eastcarlton, who is to convey them to the king.Beckwith's Fragmenta Antiquitatis, ed. 1784, p. 135. † P. 178, 186. The whole of this chapter was added to the second edition. One of the best French editions of the work here alluded to is mentioned by De Bure, "L'Agriculture et Maison Rustique de MM. Charles Estienne, et IEAN LIEBAVLT, Docteurs en Médecine. Edition dernière," 4to, Lyon. 1594. A translation of this work, under the title of "Maison Rustique, or the Country Farme," compiled by Charles Steuens and John Liebault, Doctors of Physicke, and translated into English by Richard Surflet," appeared in quarto, Lond. 1600 and a second edition, with large additions, by Gervase Markham, fol. Lond. 1616. The latter is, no doubt, the "large discourse" to which Walton alludes. This xxth Chapter of Walton is contracted from the xith, xiith, xiiith, xivth, and xvth chapters of Liebault's fourth book.-E. side, and in the most sandy places, for fish both to spawn upon, and to defend them and the young fry from the many fish, and also from vermin, that lie at watch to destroy them, especially the spawn of the Carp and Tench, when 'tis left to the mercy of ducks or vermin. He, and Dubravius, and all others advise that you make choice of such a place for your pond, that it may be refreshed with a little rill, or with rain water, running or falling into it; by which fish are more inclined both to breed, and are also refreshed and fed the better, and do prove to be of a much sweeter and more pleasant taste. To which end it is observed, that such pools as be large and have most gravel, and shallows where fish may sport themselves, do afford fish of the purest taste. And note, that in all pools it is best for fish to have some retiring-place; as, namely, hollow banks, or shelves, or roots of trees, to keep them from danger, and, when they think fit, from the extreme heat of summer; as also from the extremity of cold in winter. And note, that if many trees be growing about your pond, the leaves thereof falling into the water, make it nauseous to the fish, and the fish to be so to the eater of it. 'Tis noted, that the Tench and Eel love mud: and the Carp loves gravelly ground, and in the hot months to feed on grass. You are to cleanse your pond, if you intend either profit or pleasure, once every three or four years, especially some ponds, and then let it lie dry six or twelve months, both to kill the waterweeds, as water-lilies, candocks, reate, and bulrushes, that breed there; and also that, as these die for want of water, so grass may grow in the pond's bottom, which Carps will eat greedily in all the hot months, if the pond be clean. The letting your pond dry, and sowing oats in the bottom is also good, for the fish feed the faster; and being sometimes let dry, you may observe what kind of fish either increases or thrives best in that water; for they differ much, both in their breeding and feeding. Lebault also advises, that if your ponds be not very large and roomy, that you often feed your fish by throwing into them chippings of bread, curds, grains, or the entrails of chickens or of any fowl or beast that you kill to feed yourselves; for these afford fish a great relief. He says that frogs and ducks do much harm, and devour both the spawn and the young fry of all fish, especially of the Carp; and I have, besides experience, many testimonies of it. But Lebault allows water-frogs to be good meat, especially in some months, if they be fat: but you are to note that he is a Frenchman; and we English will hardly believe him, though we know frogs are usually eaten in his country: however he advises to destroy them and kingfishers out of your ponds. And he advises not to suffer much shooting at wildfowl; for that, he says, affrightens, and harms, and destroys the fish. Note, that Carps and Tench thrive and breed best when no other fish is put with them into the same pond; for all other fish devour their spawn, or at least the greatest part of it. And note, that clods of grass thrown into any pond feed any Carps in summer; and that garden-earth and parsley thrown into a pond recovers and refreshes the sick fish. And note, that when you store your pond, you are to put into it two or three melters for one spawner, if you put them into a breeding-pond; but if into a nurse-pond, or feeding-pond, in which they will not breed, then no care is to be taken whether there be most male or female Carps. It is observed that the best ponds to breed Carps are those that be stony or sandy, and are warm, and free from wind; and that are not deep, but have willow-trees and grass on their sides, over which the water does sometimes flow and note, that Carps do more usually breed in marl-pits, or pits that have clean clay bottoms; or in new ponds, or ponds that lie dry a winter season, than in old ponds that be full of mud and weeds.* * It is observable that the author has said very little of pond-fishing; which is, in truth, a dull recreation; and to which I have heard it objected, that fish in ponds are already caught. Nevertheless, I find that in the canal at St James's Park, which, though a large one, is yet a pond, it was, in the reign of Charles II., the practice of ladies to angle. "Beneath, a shole of silver fishes glides, And plays about the gilded barges' sides; eyes, -WALLER. Poem On St James's Park, lately improved by his Majesty. As the method of ordering fish-ponds is now very well known, and there are few books of gardening but what give some directions about it, it is hoped the reader will think the following quotation from Bowlker sufficient, by way of annotation on this chapter : "When you intend to stock a pool with Carp or Tench, make a close ethering hedge across the head of the pool, about a yard distance of the dam, and about three feet above the water, which is the best refuge for them I know of, and the only method to preserve pool-fish; because if any one attempts to rob the pool, muddies the water, or disturbs it with nets, most of the fish, if not all, immediately fly between the hedge and the dam, to preserve themselves; and in all pools where there are such shelters and shades, the fish delight to swim backwards and forwards, through and round the same, rubbing and sporting themselves therewith. This hedge ought to be made chiefly of orls, and not too close; the boughs long and straggling towards the dam; by which means you may feed and fatten them as you please. The best baits for drawing them together, at first, are maggots, or young wasps; the next are bullock's brains and lob-worms, chopped together, and thrown into the pools in large quantities, about two hours before sunset, summer and winter. By thus using these ground-baits, once a day, for a fortnight Well, Scholar, I have told you the substance of all that either observation or discourse, or a diligent survey of Dubravius and Lebault, hath told me: not that they, in their long discourses, have not said more; but the most of the rest are so common observations, as if a man should tell a good arithmetician that twice two is four. I will therefore put an end to this discourse; and we will here sit down and rest us. PISCATOR. WELL, Scholar, I have held you too long about these cadis, and smaller fish, and rivers, and fish-ponds; and my spirits are almost spent, and so I doubt is your CHAP. XXI. patience; but being we are now almost at Tottenham, where I first met you, and where we are to part, I will lose no time, but give you a little direction how to make and order your lines, and to colour the hair 2 of which you make your lines, for that is very needful to be known of an angler; and also how to paint your rod, especially your top; for a right-grown top is a choice commodity, and should be preserved from the water soaking into it, which makes it in wet weather to be heavy and fish illfavouredly, and not true; and also it rots quickly for want of painting 3 and I think a good top is worth preserving, or I had not taken care to keep a top above twenty years. VARIATIONS. 2 In the first edition the chapter commences thus: "Well, Scholar, I have held you too long about these cadis, and my spirits are almost spent, and so I doubt is your patience; but being we are now within sight of Tottenham, where I first met you, and where we are to part, I will give you a little direction how to colour the hair," &c. 3 which makes it in wet weather to be heavy, and fish ill-favouredly, and also to rot quickly. 1st edit. In the second edition is added "for want of painting:" the third and subsequent editions correspond with the text. together, the fish will come as constantly and naturally to the place as cattle to their fodder; and to satisfy your curiosity, and to convince you herein, after you have baited the pool for some time, as directed, take about the quantity of a twopenny loaf of wheaten bread, cut it into slices, and wet it: then throw it into the pool where you had baited, and the Carp will feed upon it: after you have used the wet bread three or four mornings, then throw some dry bread in, which will lie on the top of the water; and if you watch, out of sight of the fish, you will presently see them swim to it, and suck it in. I look upon wheaten bread to be the best food for them, though barley or oaten bread is very good. If there be Tench and Pearch in the same pond, they will feed upon the four former baits, and not touch the bread. Indeed there is no pool-fish so shy and nice as a Carp. When the water is disturbed, Carp will fly to the safest shelter they can which I one day observed, when assisting a gentleman to fish his pool; for another person disturbed the water, by throwing the casting net, but caught never a Carp: whereupon two or three of us stripped and went into the pool, which was provided with such a sort of a hedge in it as is before described, whither the Carp had fled for safety; then fishing with our hands on both sides of the hedge, that is, one on either side, we catched what quantity of Carp was wanting."-Bowlker, p. 62. The reader may also consult a book published about the year 1712, entitled A Dis course of Fish and Fish-ponds, by a Person of Honour; who, I have been told by one that knew him, was the Hon. Roger North, author of the Life of the Lord Keeper Guildford. See before, page 143. [The first edition of this work was without a date, in octavo. It was published again in 1713 and 1715. An edition in quarto appeared about 1770, with the name of the author in the title. It is also found as an appendage to "The Gentleman Farmer," 8vo. Lond. 1726.] 4 But first for your Line. First note, that you are to take care that your hair be round and clear, and free from gails, or scabs, or frets for a well-chosen, even, clear, round hair, of a kind of glass-colour, will prove as strong as three uneven scabby hairs that are ill-chosen, and full of galls or unevenness. You shall seldom find a black hair but it is round, but many white are flat and uneven; therefore, if you get a lock of right, round, clear, glass-colour hair, make much of it. And for making your line, observe this rule: first, let your hair be clean washed ere you go about to twist it; and then choose not only the clearest hair for it, but hairs that be of an equal bigness, for such do usually stretch all together, and break all together, which hairs of an unequal bigness never do, but break singly, and so deceive the angler that trusts to them.5 When you have twisted your links, lay them in water for a quarter of an hour at least, and then twist them over again before you tie them into a line for those that do not so shall usually find their line to have a hair or two shrink, and be shorter than the rest, at the first fishing with it, which is so much of the strength of the line lost for want of first watering it, and then retwisting it; and this is most visible in a seven-hair line, one of those which hath always a black hair in the middle. And for dyeing of your hairs, do it thus: take a pint of strong ale, half a pound of soot, and a little quantity of the juice of walnut-tree leaves, and an equal quantity of alum: put these together into a pot, pan, or pipkin, and boil them half an hour; and having so done, let it cool; and being cold, put your hair into it, and there let it lie; it will turn your hair to be a kind of water or glass colour, or greenish; and the longer you let it lie, the deeper coloured it will be. You might be taught to make many other colours, but it is to little purpose; for doubtless the water-colour or glass-coloured hair is the most choice and most useful for an angler, but let it not be too green.8 But if you desire to colour hair greener, then do it thus: take a quart of small ale, half a pound of alum; then put these into a pan or pipkin, and your hair into it with them; then put it upon VARIATIONS. 4 No portion of this and the two following paragraphs occurs in the first edition: but they were inserted in the second. 5 for such do usually stretch altogether, and not break singly one by one, but altogether.-21 and 3d edit. 6 a seven-hair line with one of them black in the middle.-2d edit. 7 like. 1st edit. 8but let it not be too green," added in the second and subsequent editions. |