ANGLING IMPROVED:ORPROFIT AND PLEASURE UNITED.CHAP. I.WHEN TO PROVIDE TOOLS, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.
OR
PROFIT AND PLEASURE UNITED.
CHAP. I.
WHEN TO PROVIDE TOOLS, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.
Forthe attaining of such ends which our desires propose to themselves, of necessity we must make use of such common mediums as have a natural tendency to the producing of such effects as are in our eye, and at which we aim; and as in any work, if one principal material be wanting, the whole is at a stand, neither can the same be perfected: so in Angling, the end being recreation, which consisteth in drawing the fish to bite, that we may take them; if you want tools, though you have baits, or baits, though you have tackle, yet you have no part of pleasure by either of these singly: nay, if you have both, yet want skill to usethem, all the rest is to little purpose. I shall therefore first begin with your tools, and so proceed in order with the rest.
1. In Autumn, when the leaves are almost or altogether fallen, which is usually about the Winter solstice, the sap being then in the root; which about the middle of January begins to ascend again, and then the time is past to provide yourself with stocks or tops: you need not be so exactly curious for your stocks as the tops, though I wish you to choose the neatest taper-grown you can for stocks, but let your tops be the most neat rush-grown shoots you can get, straight and smooth; and if for the ground-rod, near or full two yards long, the reason for that length shall be given presently; and if for the fly, of what length you please, because you must either choose them to fit the stock, or the stock to fit them in a most exact proportion; neither do they need to be so very much taper-grown as those for the ground, for if your rod be not most exactly proportionable, as well as slender, it will neither cast well, strike readily, or ply and bend equally, which will very much endanger your line. When you have fitted yourself with tops and stocks, for all must be gathered in one season, if any of them be crooked, bind them all together, and they will keep one another straight; or lay them on some even-boarded floor, with a weight on the crooked parts, or else bind them close to some straight staff or pole; but before you do this you must bathe them all, save the very top, in a gentle fire.
For the ground angle, I prefer the cane or reed before all other, both for its length and lightness: and whereas some object against its colour and stiffness, I answer, both these inconveniences are easily remedied; the colour by covering it with thin leather or parchment, and those dyed into what colour you please; or you may colour the cane itself, as you see daily done by those that sell them in London, especially if you scrape off the shining yellow outside, but that weakens the rod. The stiffness of the cane is helped by the length and strength of the top, which I would wish to be very much taper-grown, and of the full length I spoke of before, and so it will kill a very good fish without ever straining the cane, which will, as you may observe, yield and bend a little; neither would I advise any to use a reed that will not receive a top of the fore-mentioned length. Such who most commend the hazel-rod, (which I also value and praise, but for different reasons), above the cane; do it because, say they, the slender rod saveth the line; but my opinion is, that the equal bending of the rod chiefly, next to the skill of the Angler, saveth the line, and the slenderness I conceive principally serveth to make the fly-rod long and light, easy to be managed with one hand, and casteth the fly far, which are to me the considerations chiefly to be regarded in a fly-rod; for if you observe the slender part of the rod, if strained, shoots forth in length as if it were part of the line, so that the whole stress or strength of the fish is borne or sustained by the thicker part of the rod, which is no stronger than the strongerend of such a top as I did before direct for the ground-rod, and you may prove what I say to be true, if you hang a weight at the top of the fly-rod, which you shall see ply and bend, in the stiff and thick part, more or less as the weight is heavy or light. Having made this digression for the cane, I return to the making up of the top, of which at the upper or small end, I would have you to cut off about two feet, or three quarters of a yard at most; and then piece neatly to the thick remaining part, a small shoot of black thorn or crab tree, gathered in due season as before, fitted in a most exact proportion to the hazel, and then cut off a small part of the slender end of the black thorn or crab tree, and lengthen out the same with a small piece of whale-bone, made round, smooth, and taper; all which will make your rod to be very long, gentle, and not so apt to break or stand bent as the hazel, both which are great inconveniences, especially breaking, which will force you from your sport to mend your top.
2. To teach the way or manner how to make a line, were time lost, it being so easy and ordinary; yet to make the line well, handsome, and to twist the hair even and neat, makes the line strong. For if one hair be long and another short, the short one receiveth no strength from the long one, and so breaketh, and then the other, as too weak, breaks also; therefore you must twist them slowly, and in the twisting, keep them from entangling together, which hinders their right plaiting or bedding. Further, I do not like the mixing of silk or thread with hair, but if you please, you may,to make the line strong, make it all of silk, or thread, or hair, as strong as you please, and the lowest part of the smallest lute or viol strings, which I have proved to be very strong, but will quickly rot in the water, you may however help that in having new and strong ones to change for those that decay; but as to hair, the most usual matter whereof lines are made, I like sorrel, white, and grey best; sorrel in muddy and boggy rivers, and both the latter for clear waters. I never could find such virtue or worth in other colours, to give them so high praise as some do, yet if any other have worth in it, I must yield it to the pale or watery green, and if you fancy that, you may dye it thus. Take a pottle of allum water, and a large handful of marigolds, boil them until a yellow scum arise, then take half a pound of green copperas, and as much verde-grease, beat them into a fine powder, then put those with the hair into the allum water, set all to cool for twelve hours, then take out the hair and lay it to dry. Leave a bought, or bout, at both ends of the line, the one to put it to, and take it from your rod, the other to hang your lowest link upon, to which your hook is fastened, and so that you may change your hook as often as you please.
3. Let your hooks be long in the shank, and of a compass somewhat inclining 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 may 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 so, consequently cause the point of the hook to lie or hang too much outward, whereas upon the same ground the bending shank will then cause the point of the hook to hang directly upwards.
When you set on your hook, do it with strong but small silk, and lay your hair upon the inside of the hook, for if on the outside the silk will cut and fret it asunder; and to avoid the fretting of the hair by the hook on the inside, smooth all your hooks upon a whetstone, from the inside to the back of the hook, slope ways.
4. Get the best cork you can without flaws or holes, as quills and pens are not of sufficient strength in strong streams; 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 as to slip out, but so as it may stick in very closely; then pare your cork into the form of a pyramid, or small pear, and of what size you please, then on a smooth grindstone, or with pumice make it complete, for you cannot pare it so smooth as you may grind it: have corks of all sizes.
5. Get a musquet or carbine bullet, make a hole through it, and put in a strong twist, hang this on your hook to try the depth of river or pond.
6. Take so much parchment as will be about four inches broad, and five long, make the longer end round, then take so many pieces more as will make five or six partitions, sew them all together, leaving the side of the longest square open, to put your lines, spare links,hooks ready fastened, and flies ready made, into the several partitions; this will contain much, and will also lie flat and close in your pocket.
7. Have also a little whetstone about two inches long, and one quarter square; it’s much better to sharpen your hooks than a file, which either will not touch a well-tempered hook, or leave it rough but not sharp.
8. Have a piece of cane for the bob and palmer, with several boxes of divers sizes for your hooks, corks, silk, thread, lead, flies, &c.
9. Bags of linen and woollen, for all sorts of baits.
10. Have a small pole, made with a loop at the end, like that of your line, but much larger, to which must be fastened a small net, to land great fish, without which, should you want assistance, you will be in danger of losing.
11. Your pannier cannot be too light; I have seen some made of osiers, cleft into slender long splinters, and so wrought up, which is very neat, and exceeding light: you must ever carry with you store of hooks, lines, hair, silk, thread, lead, links, corks of all sizes, lest you should lose or break, as is usual, any of them, and be forced to leave your sport in quest of supplies.