CHAP. VII.
OF SEVERAL HAUNTS OR RESORTS OF FISH, AND IN WHAT RIVERS OR PLACES OF THEM THEY ARE MOST USUALLY FOUND.
Thispart of our discourse being a discovery of the several places or rivers each kind of fish do most haunt or covet, and in which they are ordinarily found.
The several sorts of rivers, streams, soils, and waters they most frequent, is a matter, in this under-valued art, of no small importance; for if you come with baits for the Trout, or Umber, and angle for them in slow muddy rivers or places, you will have little, if any sport at all: and to seek for Carp or Tench in stony swift rivers, is equally preposterous; and though I know that sometimes you may meet with fish in such rivers and places, as they do not usually frequent, for no generalrule but admits of particular exceptions, yet the exact knowledge of what rivers or soils, or what part of the river, for some rivers have swift gravely streams, and also slow, deep, muddy places; such or such sorts of fish do most frequent, will exceedingly adapt you, to know what rivers, or what part of them are most fit for your baits, or what baits suit best with each river, and the fish in the same.
1. The Salmon loves large swift rivers, where there is considerable ebbing and flowing, and there that fish is found in the greatest numbers; nevertheless, I have known them to be found in lesser rivers, high up in the country, yet chiefly in the latter end of the year, when they come thither to spawn, he chooses the most swift and violent streams, or rather cataracts, and in England the clearest gravely rivers usually with rocks or weeds; but in Ireland, I do not know any river, I mean high in the country, that hath such plenty of them as the black water, by Charlemont, and the broad water, by Shane’s Castle, both which have their heads in great bogs, and are of a dark muddy colour, and very few comparatively in the upper ban, though clearer and swifter than they.
2. The Trout is found in small purling brooks, or rivers that are very swift, and run upon stones or gravel; he feeds whilst strong in the swiftest streams, behind a stone, a log, or some small bank, which, shooting into the river, the streams beareth upon; and there he lieth watching for what comes down the stream, and suddenly catches it up. His hold is usually in thedeep, under a hollow place of the bank, or a stone which lying hollow, he loves exceedingly; and sometimes, but not so usually, he is found amongst weeds.
3. The Pearch prefers a gentle stream, of a reasonable depth, seldom shallow, close by a hollow bank; and though these three sorts of fish covet clear and swift rivers, green weeds, and stony gravel; yet they are sometimes found, but not in such plenty and goodness, in slow muddy rivers.
4. Carp, Tench, and Eel, seek mud and a still water; Eels under roots or stones, a Carp chooseth the deepest and most still place of pond or river, so does the Tench, and also green weeds, which he likes exceedingly; the greatest Eels love as before; but the smaller ones are found in all sorts of rivers and soils.
5. Pike, Bream, and Chub, choose sand or clay: the Bream, a gentle stream, and the broadest part of the river; the Pike, still pools full of fry, and shelters himself, the better to surprise his prey unawares, amongst bull-rushes, water-docks, or under-bushes; the Chub loves the same ground, but is more rarely found without some tree to shade and cover him, in large rivers and streams.
6. Barbel, Roach, Dace, and Ruff, seek gravel and sand more than the Bream, and the deepest parts of the river, where shady trees are more grateful to them, than to the Chub or Chevin.
7. The Umber seeks marl, clay, clear waters, swift streams, far from the Sea, for I never saw any taken near it; and the greatest plenty of them that Iknow of, are found in the mountainous parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, as Dovetrent, Derwent, &c.
8. Gudgeon desires sandy, gravely, gentle streams, and smaller rivers; but I have known them taken in great abundance in Trent, in Derbyshire, where it is very large; but conceive them to be in greater plenty nearer the head of that river, about or above Heywood: I can say the same of other rivers, and therefore conceive they love smaller rivers rather than the large, or the small brooks, for I never found them in so great plenty in brooks, as small rivers; he bites best in the Spring, till he spawns, and little after till wasp time.
9. Shad, Thwait, Peel, Mullett, Suant, and Flounder, love chiefly to be in or near the saltish water, which ebb and flow; I have known the Flounder taken in good plenty, in fresh rivers; they covet sand and gravel, deep gentle streams near the bank, or at the end of a stream in a deep still place: though these rules may, and do hold good in the general, yet I have found them admit of particular exceptions, but every man’s habitation engaged him to one, or usually at most, to two rivers, his own experience will quickly inform him of the nature of the same, and the fish in them. I would persuade all that love angling, and desire to be complete Anglers, to spend some time in all sorts of waters, ponds, rivers, swift and slow, stony, gravely, muddy and slimy; and to observe all the differences in the nature of the fish, the waters and baits, and by this means he will be able to take fish where ever he angles; otherwise, through want of experience, he will be likethe man that could read in no book but his own: besides, a man, his occasions or desires drawing him from home, must only stand as an idle spectator, whilst others kill fish, but he none; and so lose the repute of a complete Angler, how excellent soever he be at his own known river.
Furthermore, you must understand, that as some fish covet one soil more than another, so they differ in their choice of places, in every season; some keep all Summer long near the top, some never leave the bottom; for the former sort you may angle with a quill or small float near the top, with a fly, or any sort of worm bred on herbs or trees, or with a fly at the top: the latter sort you will, all Summer long, find at the tails of wiers, mills, flood-gates, arches of bridges, or the more shallow parts of the river, in a strong, swift or gentle stream, except Carp, and Tench, and Eel; in Winter all retreat into deep still places; where it ebbs and flows, they will sometimes bite best, but in the ebb most usually; sometimes when it flows, but rarely at full water, near the arches of Bridges, wiers, or flood-gates.