440
FISHING.
An Epitome of the whole Art of Fishing, wherein are shewn at one view, the Harbours, Seasons , and Depths, for catching all sortsof Fish usually angled for; also the various Baits for each, so digested as to contain the Essence of all the Treatises ever written oilthe subject, exempt from the superfluities, which tend more to perplex than instruct.
Names.
Bream.
Barbel.
Bleak.
Carp.
Chub or....Clievin.
Dace.
Gudgeon..Pike.
Perch..,. $
Pope..Roach.
Umber or )jGrayling j
Where found.
!
Seasons.
Time to angle.
Depth from ground.
rough str. river or mid. pond.
April to Mich
sun-rise to 9
3 to sun-set
touch ground
gravel-hanks in currents under
April to Aug.
very early or
ditto
bridges
late
sandy bottom, deep rivers,
May to Oct.
all day
G inches from bottom
ships’ sterns
.-.till deep mud-bottom, pond
May to Aug.
sun-rise to 9
3 inches from bottom
or river
3 to sun-set
hot weather, mid-water
ditto
May to Dec.
ditto
ditto
sandy bottom,deep rivers,
May to Oct.
all day
6 to 12 incites from bottom
ships’ sterns
gravel shoals
Mav to Oct.
ditto
near, or on ground
near clav-banks
all the year
ditto
mid-water
river in stream 4 gravel
J- or weedy
May to Aug.
S.-rise to 10
2 to sun-set
ditto
pond deepest part ) bottom
Aug. to Mav
mid-day
6 inches from bottom
deep holes in livers
May to Oct.
all day
ditto
sandy bottom, deep rivers,
May to Oct.
ditto
G to 12 inches
ships’ sterns
deep rivers
ships’ sterns and docks
Mar. to Sept.
Apr. to Oct.
8 to 9, 3 to 6
all day
mid-way to the bottom
mid.way to the bottom
variable
purling stream, and eddies of
Mar. to Mich.
ditto
cold weather ,6 inches to 9
stony-bottom river
hot weath. top to mid-wat.
mud-bottom, river or pond
ail tiie year
sun-rise to 9
cold wea. 3 inch from hot.
3 to sun-set
hot weather, mid-water
clay-bottom, swift stream
all the year
ail day j
cold weather, G to 9 inch,hot weath. top to mid-wat.
Proper Baits.
Flies
No.
Tastes.
No.
I 3
Worms.
No.
I to 7
Fish h
I nsecls.No. 8
O
2 G 7
1 2
2
2 3 8
1 3 4
12347
1 to 5
2
1245
7 8
ditto
lto5&8
dittoline floatbook li.xl
2 8
wh.stro.and snap
i o ^ 4
onshore
3 G 7
} 2
1
35 7 8
1 6
5
all
ditto
12 4 3
all large
3 4
8
1
1 5 G 7
all small
1 to 3
1 2 5
12 3 toS
bits ofsmelts
1 8
l ? 4
13 4 to 7
| 1 to 3
all
1 8
Description of proper Baits for the several sorts of Fish referredto in the foregoing Table.
Flies. 1 . Stone-fly, found under hollow stones at the side ofrivers, is of a brown colour, with yellow streaks on the hack andbelly, lias large wings, and is in season from April to July. 2 .Green drake, found among stones by river-sides, lias a yellowbody ribbed with green, is long and slender, with wings like abutterfly, his tail turns on his back, and from May to Midsummeris very useful. 3. Oak-tlv found in the body of an old oak, orash, with its head downwards, is of a brown colour, and excellentfrom May to September. 4. Palmer- lly or worm, rather a hairycaterpillar, found on leaves of plants, and when it comes to a Av-is excellent for trout. 5. Ant-fly, found in ant-hills from June toSeptember. G. The May-flv is to be found playing by the river-side, especially against rain. See Ephemera. 7..The black-flyis to be found upon every hawthorn after the buds are fallen oil'.Almost the only sport in fishing that may be called so, is fly-fish-ing. The fly is either natural or artificial.
I. Natural flies are innumerable. The most usual for this pur-pose are mentioned in the above lines. There are two ways tofish with natural flies ; either on the surface of the water, or a littleunderneath it. In angling for chevin, roach, or dace, move notvour natural fly swiftlv, when you see the fish make at it; but ra-ther let it glide freely towards him with the stream : but if it he ina still or slow water, draw the fly slowly sideways by him, which■will make him eagerly pursue it.
f[. The artificial fly is best used when the waters are so trou-bled by the winds, that the natural fly cannot be seen nor restupon them. Of artificial flies there are reckoned no less thantwelve sorts, of which the following are the principal: 1 . ForMarch, the dun-fly, made of dun-wool, and the feathers of thepartridge’s wing, or the body made of black wool, and the fea-
thers of a black drake. 2 . For April, the stone-flv, the bodymade of black wool, with a little yellow under the wings and tail.3. For the beginning of May, the ruddy fly, made ot red wool,and bound about with black silk, with the feathers of a black ca-pon hanging dangling on ids sides next his tail. 4. For June, thegreenish'fly, the body made of black wool, with a yellow list oneither side, the wings taken off the wings of the buzzard, boundwith black broken hemp. 5. The moorish fly, the body made ofduskish w ool, and the wings made of the blacki-h mail of a drake.6 . The taw ny fly, 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. 7. For July, the wasp-fly, tliebody made of black wool, cast about with yellow silk, and thewings of drakes’ feathers. 8 . The steel-lly, good in the middle ofJuly, the body made with greenish wool, cast about with the fea-thers of a peacock’s tail, and the w ings made of those of the buz-zard. 9 . For August, the drake-fly, the body made with blackwool cast about w ith black silk, his wings of (lie mail of a black'drake with a black head. The MayMly is also excellently imi-tated by the tackle-makers.
'Flic best rules for artificial fly-fishing are, 1 . To fish in a riversomewhat disturbed with rain : or in a cloudy day, when the wa-ters are moved by a gentle breeze ; the south wind is best; andif the wind blows high, yet not so but that you may convenientlyguard your tackle, the fish will rise in plain deeps: but if thewind is small, the best anting is in swift streams. 2 . Keep as farfrom the water-side as may beg fish dow n the stream with the sunat your back, and do not disturb the water w ith your line. 3.Ever angle in clear rivers with a small fly and slender wings ; butin muddy places use a larger. 4. When after rain the water be-I comes brownish, use an orange fly ; in a clear day, a light-colour-ed fly; a dark fly for dark waters, ike. 5. I.ct the line be