the complete angler-第13章

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Concerning　which　you　are　to　take　notice；　that　it　is　reported　by　good　authors；　that　grasshoppers　and　some　fish　have　no　mouths；　but　are　nourished　and　take　breath　by　the　porousness　of　their　gills；　man　knows　not　how：　and　this　may　be　believed；　if　we　consider　that　when　the　raven　hath　hatched　her　eggs；　she　takes　no　further　care；　but　leaves　her　young　ones　to　the　care　of　the　God　of　nature；　who　is　said；　in　the　Psalms；　〃to　feed　the　young　ravens　that　call　upon　him　〃。　And　they　be　kept　alive　and　fed　by　a　dew；　or　worms　that　breed　in　their　nests；　or　some　other　ways　that　we　mortals　know　not。　And　this　may　be　believed　of　the　Fordidge　Trout；　which；　as　it　is　said　of　the　stork；　that　he　knows　his　season；　so　he　knows　his　times；　I　think　almost　his　day　of　coming　into　that　river　out　of　the　sea；　where　he　lives；　and；　it　is　like；　feeds；　nine　months　of　the　year；　and　fasts　three　in　the　river　of　Fordidge。　And　you　are　to　note；　that　those　townsmen　are　very　punctual　in　observing　the　time　of　beginning　to　fish　for　them；　and　boast　much；　that　their　river　affords　a　Trout　that　exceeds　all　others。　And　just　so　does　Sussex　boast　of　several　fish；　as；　namely；　a　Shelsey　Cockle；　a　Chichester　Lobster；　an　Arundel　Mullet；　and　an　Amerly　Trout。

And；　now；　for　some　confirmation　of　the　Fordidge　Trout：　you　are　to　know　that　this　Trout　is　thought　to　eat　nothing　in　the　fresh　water；　and　it　may　be　the　better　believed；　because　it　is　well　known；　that　swallows；　and　bats；　and　wagtails；　which　are　called　half…year　birds；　and　not　seen　to　fly　in　England　for　six　months　in　the　year；　but　about　Michaelmas　leave　us　for　a　hotter　climate；　yet　some　of　them　that　have　been　left　behind　their　fellows；　have　been　found；　many　thousands　at　a　time；　in　hollow　trees；　or　clay　caves；　where　they　have　been　observed　to　live；　and　sleep　out　the　whole　winter；　without　meat。　And　so　Albertus　observes；　That　there　is　one　kind　of　frog　that　hath　her　mouth　naturally　shut　up　about　the　end　of　August；　and　that　she　lives　so　all　the　winter：　and　though　it　be　strange　to　some；　yet　it　is　known　to　too　many　among　us　to　be　doubted。

And　so　much　for　these　Fordidge　Trouts；　which　never　afford　an　angler　sport；　but　either　live　their　time　of　being　in　the　fresh　water；　by　their　meat　formerly　gotten　in　the　sea；　not　unlike　the　swallow　or　frog；　or；　by　the　virtue　of　the　fresh　water　only；　or；　as　the　birds　of　Paradise　and　the　cameleon　are　said　to　live；　by　the　sun　and　the　air。

There　is　also　in　Northumberland　a　Trout　called　a　Bull…trout；　of　a　much　greater　length　and　bigness　than　any　in　these　southern　parts；　and　there　are；　in　many　rivers　that　relate　to　the　sea；　Salmon…trouts；　as　much　different　from　others；　both　in　shape　and　in　their　spots；　as　we　see　sheep　in　some　countries　differ　one　from　another　in　their　shape　and　bigness；　and　in　the　fineness　of　the　wool：　and；　certainly；　as　some　pastures　breed　larger　sheep；　so　do　some　rivers；　by　reason　of　the　ground　over　which　they　run；　breed　larger　Trouts。

Now　the　next　thing　that　I　will　commend　to　your　consideration　is；　that　the　Trout　is　of　a　more　sudden　growth　than　other　fish。　Concerning　which；　you　are　also　to　take　notice；　that　he　lives　not　so　long　as　the　Pearch；　and　divers　other　fishes　do；　as　Sir　Francis　Bacon　hath　observed　in　his　History　of　　Life　and　Death。

And　next　you　are　to　take　notice；　that　he　is　not　like　the　Crocodile；　which　if　he　lives　never　so　long；　vet　always　thrives　till　his　death：　but　'tis　not　so　with　the　Trout；　for　after　he　is　come　to　his　full　growth；　he　declines　in　his　body；　and　keeps　his　bigness；　or　thrives　only　in　his　head　till　his　death。　And　you　are　to　know；　that　he　will；　about；　especially　before；　the　time　of　his　spawning；　get；　almost　miraculously；　through　weirs　and　flood…gates；　against　the　stream；　even　through　such　high　and　swift　places　as　is　almost　incredible。　Next；　that　the　Trout　usually　spawns　about　October　or　November；　but　in　some　rivers　a　little　sooner　or　later；　which　is　the　more　observable；　because　most　other　fish　spawn　in　the　spring　or　summer；　when　the　sun　hath　warmed　both　the　earth　and　water；　and　made　it　fit　for　generation。　And　you　are　to　note；　that　he　continues　many　months　out　of　season；　for　it　may　be　observed　of　the　Trout；　that　he　is　like　the　Buck　or　the　Ox；　that　will　not　be　fat　in　many　months；　though　he　go　in　the　very　same　pastures　that　horses　do；　which　will　be　fat　in　one　month：　and　so　you　may　observe；　That　most　other　fishes　recover　strength；　and　grow　sooner　fat　and　in　season　than　the　Trout　doth。

And　next　you　are　to　note；　That　till　the　sun　gets　to　such　a　height　as　to　warm　the　earth　and　the　water；　the　Trout　is　sick；　and　lean；　and　lousy；　and　unwholesome；　for　you　shall；　in　winter；　find　him　to　have　a　big　head；　and；　then；　to　be　lank　and　thin　and　lean；　at　which　time　many　of　them　have　sticking　on　them　Sugs；　or　Trout…lice；　which　is　a　kind　of　a　worm；　in　shape　like　a　clove；　or　pin　with　a　big　head；　and　sticks　close　to　him；　and　sucks　his　moisture；　those；　I　think；　the　Trout　breeds　himself：　and　never　thrives　till　he　free　himself　from　them；　which　is　when　warm　weather　comes；　and；　then；　as　he　grows　stronger；　he　gets　from　the　dead　still　water　into　the　sharp　streams　and　the　gravel；　and；　there；　rubs　off　these　worms　or　lice；　and　then；　as　he　grows　stronger；　so　he　gets　him　into　swifter　and　swifter　streams；　and　there　lies　at　the　watch　for　any　fly　or　minnow　that　comes　near　to　him；　and　he　especially　loves　the　May…fly；　which　is　bred　of　the　cod…worm；　or　cadis；　and　these　make　the　Trout　bold　and　lusty；　and　he　is　usually　fatter　and　better　meat　at　the　end　of　that　month　than　at　any　time　of　the　year。

Now　you　are　to　know　that　it　is　observed；　that　usually　the　best　Trouts　are　either　red　or　yellow；　though　some；　as　the　Fordidge　Trout；　be　white　and　yet　good；　but　that　is　not　usual：　and　it　is　a　note　observable；　that　the　female　Trout　hath　usually　a　less　head；　and　a　deeper　body　than　the　male　Trout；　and　is　usually　the　better　meat。　And　note；　that　a　hog　back　and　a　little　head；　to　either　Trout；　Salmon　or　any　other　fish；　is　a　sign　that　that　fish　is　in　season。

But　yet　you　are　to　note；　that　as　you　see　some　willows　or　palm…trees　bud　and　blossom　sooner　than　others　do；　so　some　Trouts　be；　in　rivers；　sooner　in　season：　and　as　some　hollies；　or　oaks；　are　longer　before　they　cast　their　leaves；　so　are　some　Trouts；　in　rivers；　longer　before　they　go　out　of　season。

And　you　are　to　note；　that　there　are　several　kinds　of　Trouts：　but　these　several　kinds　are　not　considered　but　by　very　few　men；　for　they　go　under　the　general　name　of　Trouts；　just　as　pigeons　do；　in　most　places；　though　it　is　certain；　there　are　tame　and　wild　pigeons；　and　of　the　tame；　there　be　hermits　and　runts；　and　carriers　and　cropers；　and　indeed　too　many　to　name。　Nay；　the　Royal　Society　have　found　and　published　lately；　that　there　be　thirty　and　three　kinds　of　spiders；　and　yet　all；　for　aught　I　know；　go　under　that　one　general　name　of　spider。　And　it　is　so　with　many　kinds　of　fish；　and　of　Trouts　especially；　which　differ　in　their　bigness；　and　shape；　and　spots；　and　colour。　The　great　Kentish　hens　may　be　an　instance；　compared　to　other　hens：　and；　doubtless；　there　is　a　kind　of　small　Trout；　which　will　never　thrive　to　be　big；　that　breeds　very　many　more　than　others　do；　that　be　of　a　larger　size：　which　you　may　rasher　believe；　if　you　consider　that　the　little　wren　end　titmouse　will　have　twenty　young　ones　at　a　time；　when；　usually；　the　noble　hawk；　or　the　musical　thrassel　or　blackbird；　exceed　not　four　or　five。

And　now　you　shall　see　me　try　my　skill　to　catch　a　Trout；　and　at　my　next　walking；　either　this　evening　or　to…morrow　morning；　I　will　give　you　direction　how　you　yourself　shall　fish　for　him。

Venator。　Trust　me；　master；　I　see　now　it　is　a　harder　matter　to　catch　a　Trout　than　a　Chub；　for　I　have　put　on　patience；　and　followed　you　these　two　hours；　and　not　seen　a　fish　stir；　neither　at　your　minnow　nor　your　worm。

Piscator。　Well；　scholar；　you　must　endure　worse　luck　sometime；　or　you　will　never　make　a　good　angler。　But　what　say　you　now？　there　is　a　Trout　now；　and　a　good　one　too；　if　I　can　but　hold　him；　and　two　or　three　turns　more　will　tire　him。　Now　you　see　he　lies　still；　and　the　sleight　is　to　land　him：　reach　me　that　landing…net。　So；　Sir；　now　he　is　mine　own：　what　say　you　now；　is　not　this　worth　all　my　labour　and　your　patience？

Venator。　On　my　word；　master；　this　is　a　gallant　Trout；　what　shall　we　do　with　him？

Pi