CHAP. VI.
TO KEEP YOUR BAITS.
1.Pastewill keep very long, if you put virgin wax and clarified honey into it, and stick well on the hook, if you beat cotton wool, or flax into it, when you make your paste.
2. Put your worms into very good long moss, whether white, red, or green, matters not; wash it well, and cleanse it from all earth and filth, wring it very dry, then put your worms into an earthen pot, cover it close that they crawl not out; set it in a cool place in Summer, and in Winter in a warm place, that the frostkill them not; every third day in Summer change your moss, and once in the week in Winter; the longer you keep them before you use them the better: clean scouring your worms makes them clear, red, tough, and to live long on the hook, and to keep colour, and therefore more desireable to the fish: a little Bol Amoniac put to them, will much further your desire, and scour them in a short time: or you may put them all night in water, and they will scour themselves, which will weaken them; but a few hours in good moss will recover them. Lest your worms die, you may feed them with crumbs of bread and milk, or fine flour and milk, or the yolk of an egg, and sweet cream coagulated over the fire, given to them a little and often; sometimes also put to them earth cast out of a grave, the newer the grave the better; I mean the shorter time the party hath been buried, you will find the fish will exceedingly covet them after this earth, and here you may gather what gum that is, which J. D. in hisSecrets of Angling, calls ‘Gum of Life.’
3. You must keep all other sorts of worms with the leaves of those trees and herbs on which they are bred, renewing the leaves often in a day, and put in fresh for the old ones: the boxes you keep them in must have a few small holes to let in air.
4. Keep gentles or maggots with dead flesh, beast’s livers, or suet; cleanse or scour them in meal, or bran, which is better; you may breed them by pricking a beast’s liver full of holes, hang it in the sun in Summer time; set an old course barrel, or small firkin,with clay and bran in it, into which they will drop, and cleanse themselves in it.
5. Cad-bait cannot endure the wind and cold, therefore keep them in a thick woollen bag, with some gravel amongst them: wet them once a day, at least, if in the house, but often in the hot weather: when you carry them forth, fill the bag full of water, then hold the mouth close, that they drop not out, and so let the water run from them; I have thus kept them three weeks, or you may put them into an earthern pot full of water, with some gravel at the bottom, and take them forth into your bag as you use them.
6. The spawn of some fish is a good bait, to be used at such time as that fish is spawning: some days before they spawn they will bite eagerly; if you take one that is full-bellied, take out the spawn, boil it so hard as to stick on your hook, and so use it; or not boil it at all, the spawn ofSalmonis the best of all sorts of spawn.
7. I have observed, thatChevin,Roach, and
DACE
bite much better at the oak-worm, or any worm bred on herbs and trees, especially if you angle with thesame, when they shew themselves at the top of the water, as with the natural fly, than if you use it under: for I have observed, that when a gale of wind shakes the trees, the worms fall into the water, and presently rise and float on the top, where I have seen the fish rise at them, as at flies, which taught me this experience; and indeed they sink not, till tost and beaten by the stream, and so die and lose their colour; the fish then, as you may see by your own on your hook, do not much esteem them.
8. There are two, some say three, sorts of cad-bait; the one bred under stones, that lie hollow in shallow rivers, or small brooks, in a very fine gravelly case or husk, these are yellow when ripe: the other in old pits, ponds, or slow running rivers, or ditches, in cases or husks of straw, sticks, or rushes, these are green when ripe: both are excellent forTrout, used as before directed, and for most sorts of small fish. The green sort, which is bred in pits, ponds, or ditches, may be found in March, before the other yellow ones comes in; the other yellow ones come in season with May, or the end of April, and go out in July: a second sort, but smaller, come in again in August.
9. Yellow bobs are also of two sorts, the one bred in mellow light soils, and gathered after the plough, when the land is first broken up from grazing, and are in season in the Winter till March; the other sort is bred under cow-dung, hath a red head; and these are in season in the Summer only: scour them in bran, or dry moss, or meal.
10. Bark-worms are found under the bark of an oak, ash, alder, and birch, especially if they lie a year or more after they have fallen, you may find a great white worm, with a brown head, something resembling a dore bee, or humble-bee, this is in season all the year, especially from September until June, or mid-May; the Umber covets this bait above any, save fly, and cad-bait; you may also find this worm in the body of a rotten alder, if you break it with an axe or beetle; but be careful only to shake the tree in pieces with beating, and crush not the worm: you may also find him under the bark of the stump of a tree, if decayed.
11. Dry your wasps, dores, or bees, upon a tile-stone, or in an oven cooled after baking, lest they burn; and to avoid that, you must lay them on a thin board or chip, and cover them with another so supported, as not to crush them, or else clap two cakes together: this way they will keep long, and stick on your hook well. If you boil them hard, they grow black in a few days.
12. Dry your sheep’s blood in the air, upon a dry board, till it become a pretty hard lump; then cut it into small pieces for your use.
13. When you use grain, boil it soft, and get off the outward rind, which is the bran; and then if you will, you may fry the same in honey and milk, or some strong-scented oils, as polypody, spike, ivy, turpentine; for Nature, which maketh nothing in vain, hath given the fish nostrils, and that they can smell, is undeniable; and I am persuaded, more guided by the sense of smelling, than sight, for sometimes they will come to the float, ifany wax be upon it, smell at it and go away. We see also that strong scents draw them together; as, put grains, worms, or snails, in a bottle of hay tied pretty close, and you will, if you pluck it out suddenly, sometimes draw upEelsin it. But I never yet made trial of any of these oils; for when I had the oils, I wanted time to try them; or when I had time, I wanted the oils: but I recommend them to others for trial, and do purpose, God willing, to prove the virtue myself, especially that ointment so highly commended by J. D. in hisSecrets of Angling.[3]
[3]In the edition of 1613, duod. the receipt here referred to occurs at the end of the volume:Would’st thou catch fish?Then here’s thy wish;Take this receiptTo anoint thy bait.Thou that desirest to fish with line and hook,Be it in poole, in river, or in brook,To blisse thy bait, and make the fish to bite,Loe here’s a means if thou canst hit it right;Take gum of life, fine beat and laid to soakIn oyle, well drawn from that which kills the oak;Fish where thou wilt, thou shalt have sport thy fill,When twenty fail, thou shalt be sure to kill.Probatum.It’s perfect and goodIf well understoodElse not to be toldFor silver or gold.Lauson, who ‘augmented with many approved experiments,’ the second edition of theSecrets of Angling, 1652, duod. observes, ‘This excellent receipt divers Anglers can tell you where you may buy them.’ On the subject of ‘gum of life,’ he continues, ‘I have heard much of an oyntment that will presently cause any fish to bite; but I could never attain the knowledge thereof, the nearest in mine opinion, except this Probatum, is the oyle of an ospray, which is called Aquila Marina, the Sea-Eagle. She is of body neare the bignesse of a goose; one of herfeete is web’d to swim withall, the other hath talons to catch fish. It seems the fish come up to her, for she cannot dive. Some likelihood there is also in a paste made of Coculus Indie, Assa-Fœtida, Honey and Wheat-flour; but I never tried them, therefore I cannot prescribe.’‘That which kills the oak,’ is expressly said to signify ‘the Ivy,’ edit. 1652.In a third, and hitherto unrecorded edition of theSecrets of Angling, it is said, ‘This excellent receipt you may buy ready and truely made, at the signe of the Flying Horse, an Apothecaries in Carter-Lane.’Editor.
[3]In the edition of 1613, duod. the receipt here referred to occurs at the end of the volume:
Would’st thou catch fish?Then here’s thy wish;Take this receiptTo anoint thy bait.Thou that desirest to fish with line and hook,Be it in poole, in river, or in brook,To blisse thy bait, and make the fish to bite,Loe here’s a means if thou canst hit it right;Take gum of life, fine beat and laid to soakIn oyle, well drawn from that which kills the oak;Fish where thou wilt, thou shalt have sport thy fill,When twenty fail, thou shalt be sure to kill.Probatum.It’s perfect and goodIf well understoodElse not to be toldFor silver or gold.
Would’st thou catch fish?Then here’s thy wish;Take this receiptTo anoint thy bait.Thou that desirest to fish with line and hook,Be it in poole, in river, or in brook,To blisse thy bait, and make the fish to bite,Loe here’s a means if thou canst hit it right;Take gum of life, fine beat and laid to soakIn oyle, well drawn from that which kills the oak;Fish where thou wilt, thou shalt have sport thy fill,When twenty fail, thou shalt be sure to kill.Probatum.It’s perfect and goodIf well understoodElse not to be toldFor silver or gold.
Would’st thou catch fish?Then here’s thy wish;Take this receiptTo anoint thy bait.Thou that desirest to fish with line and hook,Be it in poole, in river, or in brook,To blisse thy bait, and make the fish to bite,Loe here’s a means if thou canst hit it right;Take gum of life, fine beat and laid to soakIn oyle, well drawn from that which kills the oak;Fish where thou wilt, thou shalt have sport thy fill,When twenty fail, thou shalt be sure to kill.Probatum.
Would’st thou catch fish?
Then here’s thy wish;
Take this receipt
To anoint thy bait.
Thou that desirest to fish with line and hook,
Be it in poole, in river, or in brook,
To blisse thy bait, and make the fish to bite,
Loe here’s a means if thou canst hit it right;
Take gum of life, fine beat and laid to soak
In oyle, well drawn from that which kills the oak;
Fish where thou wilt, thou shalt have sport thy fill,
When twenty fail, thou shalt be sure to kill.
Probatum.
It’s perfect and goodIf well understoodElse not to be toldFor silver or gold.
It’s perfect and good
If well understood
Else not to be told
For silver or gold.
Lauson, who ‘augmented with many approved experiments,’ the second edition of theSecrets of Angling, 1652, duod. observes, ‘This excellent receipt divers Anglers can tell you where you may buy them.’ On the subject of ‘gum of life,’ he continues, ‘I have heard much of an oyntment that will presently cause any fish to bite; but I could never attain the knowledge thereof, the nearest in mine opinion, except this Probatum, is the oyle of an ospray, which is called Aquila Marina, the Sea-Eagle. She is of body neare the bignesse of a goose; one of herfeete is web’d to swim withall, the other hath talons to catch fish. It seems the fish come up to her, for she cannot dive. Some likelihood there is also in a paste made of Coculus Indie, Assa-Fœtida, Honey and Wheat-flour; but I never tried them, therefore I cannot prescribe.’
‘That which kills the oak,’ is expressly said to signify ‘the Ivy,’ edit. 1652.
In a third, and hitherto unrecorded edition of theSecrets of Angling, it is said, ‘This excellent receipt you may buy ready and truely made, at the signe of the Flying Horse, an Apothecaries in Carter-Lane.’
Editor.
14. When you see ant-flies in greatest plenty, go to the ant-hills where they breed, take a great handful of the earth, with as much of the roots of the grass growing on those hills; put all into a large glass bottle, then gather a pottle full of the blackest, ant-flies unbruised, put them into the bottle, or into a firkin, if you would keep them long, first washed with honey, or water and honey;RoachandDacewill bite at these flies under water near the ground.
15. When you gather bobs after the plough, put them into a firkin, with sufficient of the soil they were bred in, to preserve them; stop the vessel quite close, or all will spoil; set it where neither wind nor frost may offend them, and they will keep all Winter for your use.
16. At the latter end of September, take some dead carrion that hath some maggots bred in it, which are beginning to creep; bury all deep in the ground, that the frost kill them not, and they will serve in March or April following, to use.
17. To find the flag-worm, do thus: go to an old pond, or pit, where there are store of flags, or, as some call them, sedges, pull some up by the roots, then shake those roots in the water, till all the mud and dirt bewashed away from them, then amongst the small strings or fibres that grow to the roots, you will find little husks or cases of a reddish, or yellowish, and some of other colours; open these carefully with a pin, and you will find in them a little small worm, white as a gentle, but longer and thinner; this is an excellent bait for the Tench, the Bream, and especially the Carp: if you pull the flags-asunder, and cut open the round stalk, you will also find a worm like the former in the husks; but tougher, and in that respect better.