the complete angler-第24章

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And；　for　that：　First　you　shall　observe；　that　usually　he　stays　not　long　in　a　place；　as　Trouts　will；　but；　as　I　said；　covets　still　to　go　nearer　the　spring…　head：　and　that　he　does　not；　as　the　Trout　and　many　other　fish；　lie　near　the　water…side　or　bank；　or　roots　of　trees；　but　swims　in　the　deep　and　broad　parts　of　the　water；　and　usually　in　the　middle；　and　near　the　ground；　and　that　there　you　are　to　fish　for　him；　and　that　he　is　to　be　caught；　as　the　Trout　is；　with　a　worm；　a　minnow　which　some　call　a　peek；　or　with　a　fly。

And　you　are　to　observe；　that　he　is　very　seldom　observed　to　bite　at　a　minnow；　yet　sometimes　he　will；　and　not　usually　at　a　fly；　but　more　usually　at　a　worm；　and　then　most　usually　at　a　lob　or　garden…worm；　which　should　be　well　scoured；　that　is　to　say；　kept　seven　or　eight　days　in　moss　before　you　fish　with　them：　and　if　you　double　your　time　of　eight　into　sixteen；　twenty；　or　more　days；　it　is　still　the　better；　for　the　worms　will　still　be　clearer；　tougher；　and　more　lively；　and　continue　so　longer　upon　your　hook。　And　they　may　be　kept　longer　by　keeping　them　cool；　and　in　fresh　moss；　and　some　advise　to　put　camphire　into　it。

Note　also；　that　many　used　to　fish　for　a　Salmon　with　a　ring　of　wire　on　the　top　of　their　rod；　through　which　the　line　may　run　to　as　great　a　length　as　is　needful；　when　he　is　hooked。　And　to　that　end；　some　use　a　wheel　about　the　middle　of　their　rod；　or　near　their　hand；　which　is　to　be　observed　better　by　seeing　one　of　them　than　by　a　large　demonstration　of　words。

And　now　I　shall　tell　you　that　which　may　be　called　a　secret。　I　have　been　a…fishing　with　old　Oliver　Henly；　now　with　God；　a　noted　fisher　both　for　Trout　and　Salmon；　and　have　observed；　that　he　would　usually　take　three　or　four　worms　out　of　his　bag；　and　put　them　into　a　little　box　in　his　pocket；　where　he　would　usually　let　them　continue　half　an　hour　or　more。　before　he　would　bait　his　hook　with　them。　I　have　asked　him　his　reason；　and　he　has　replied；　〃　He　did　but　pick　the　best　out　to　be　in　readiness　against　he　baited　his　hook　the　next　time　〃：　but　he　has　been　observed；　both　by　others　and　myself；　to　catch　more　fish　than　I；　or　any　other　body　that　has　ever　gone　a…fishing　with　him；　could　do；　and　especially　Salmons。　And　I　have　been　told　lately；　by　one　of　his　most　intimate　and　secret　friends；　that　the　box　in　which　he　put　those　worms　was　anointed　with　a　drop；　or　two　or　three；　of　the　oil　of　ivy…berries；　made　by　expression　or　infusion；　and　told；　that　by　the　worms　remaining　in　that　box　an　hour；　or　a　like　time；　they　had　incorporated　a　kind　of　smell　that　was　irresistibly　attractive；　enough　to　force　any　fish　within　the　smell　of　them　to　bite。　This　I　heard　not　long　since　from　a　friend；　but　have　not　tried　it；　yet　I　grant　it　probable；　and　refer　my　reader　to　Sir　Francis　Bacon's　Natural　history；　where　he　proves　fishes　may　hear；　and；　doubtless；　can　more　probably　smell：　and　I　am　certain　Gesner　says；　the　Otter　can　smell　in　the　water；　and　I　know　not　but　that　fish　may　do　so　too。　'Tis　left　for　a　lover　of　angling；　or　any　that　desires　to　improve　that　art；　to　try　this　conclusion。

I　shall　also　impart　two　other　experiments；　but　not　tried　by　myself；　which　I　will　deliver　in　the　same　words　that　they　were　given　me　by　an　excellent　angler　and　a　very　friend；　in　writing：　he　told　me　the　latter　was　too　good　to　be　told；　but　in　a　learned　language；　lest　it　should　be　made　common。

〃Take　the　stinking　oil　drawn　out　of　polypody　of　the　oak　by　a　retort；　mixed　with　turpentine　and　hive…honey；　and　anoint　your　bait　therewith；　and　it　will　doubtless　draw　the　fish　to　it。〃　The　other　is　this：　〃　Vulnera　hederae　grandissimae　inflicta　sudant　balsamum　oleo　gelato；　albicantique　persimile；　odoris　vero　longe　suavissimi〃。　〃'Tis　supremely　sweet　to　any　fish；　and　yet　assa　foetida　may　do　the　like。〃

But　in　these　I　have　no　great　faith；　yet　grant　it　probable；　and　have　had　from　some　chymical　men；　namely；　from　Sir　George　Hastings　and　others；　an　affirmation　of　them　to　be　very　advantageous。　But　no　more　of　these；　especially　not　in　this　place。

I　might　here；　before　I　take　my　leave　of　the　Salmon；　tell　you；　that　there　is　more　than　one　sort　of　them；　as　namely；　a　Tecon；　and　another　called　in　some　places　a　Samlet；　or　by　some　a　Skegger；　but　these；　and　others　which　I　forbear　to　name；　may　be　fish　of　another　kind；　and　differ　as　we　know　a　Herring　and　a　Pilchard　do；　which；　I　think；　are　as　different　as　the　rivers　in　which　they　breed；　and　must；　by　me；　be　left　to　the　disquisitions　of　men　of　more　leisure；　and　of　greater　abilities　than　I　profess　myself　to　have。

And　lastly；　I　am　to　borrow　so　much　of　your　promised　patience；　as　to　tell　you；　that　the　trout；　or　Salmon；　being　in　season；　have；　at　their　first　taking　out　of　the　water；　which　continues　during　life；　their　bodies　adorned；　the　one　with　such　red　spots；　and　the　other　with　such　black　or　blackish　spots；　as　give　them　such　an　addition　of　natural　beauty　as；　I　think；　was　never　given　to　any　woman　by　the　artificial　paint　or　patches　in　which　they　so　much　pride　themselves　in　this　age。　And　so　I　shall　leave　them　both；　and　proceed　to　some　observations　of　the　Pike。





The　fourth　day　…　continued

On　the　　Luce　or　Pike

Chapter　VIII

Piscator　and　Venator

Piscator。　The　mighty　Luce　or　Pike　is　taken　to　be　the　tyrant；　as　the　Salmon　is　the　king；　of　the　fresh　water。　'Tis　not　to　be　doubted；　but　that　they　are　bred；　some　by　generation；　and　some　not；　as　namely；　of　a　weed　called　pickerel…weed；　unless　learned　Gesner　be　much　mistaken；　for　he　says；　this　weed　and　other　glutinous　matter；　with　the　help　of　the　sun's　heat；　in　some　particular　months；　and　some　ponds；　apted　for　it　by　nature；　do　become　Pikes。　But；　doubtless；　divers　Pikes　are　bred　after　this　manner；　or　are　brought　into　some　ponds　some　such　Other　ways　as　is　past　man's　finding　out；　of　which　we　have　daily　testimonies。

Sir　Francis　Bacon；　in　his　History　of　Life　and　Death；　observes　the　Pike　to　be　the　longest　lived　of　any　fresh…water　fish；　and　yet　he　computes　it　to　be　not　usually　above　forty　years；　and　others　think　it　to　be　not　above　ten　years：　and　yet　Gesner　mentions　a　Pike　taken　in　Swedeland；　in　the　year　1449；　with　a　ring　about　his　neck；　declaring　he　was　put　into　that　pond　by　Frederick　the　Second；　more　than　two　hundred　years　before　he　was　last　taken；　as　by　the　inscription　in　that　ring；　being　Greek；　was　interpreted　by　the　then　Bishop　of　Worms。　But　of　this　no　more；　but　that　it　is　observed；　that　the　old　or　very　great　Pikes　have　in　them　more　of　state　than　goodness；　the　smaller　or　middle…sized　Pikes　being；　by　the　most　and　choicest　palates；　observed　to　be　the　best　meat：　and；　contrary；　the　Eel　is　observed　to　be　the　better　for　age　and　bigness。

All　Pikes　that　live　long　prove　chargeable　to　their　keepers；　because　their　life　is　maintained　by　the　death　of　so　many　other　fish；　even　those　of　their　own　kind；　which　has　made　him　by　some　writers　to　be　called　the　tyrant　of　the　rivers；　or　the　fresh…water　wolf；　by　reason　of　his　bold；　greedy；　devouring；　disposition；　which　is　so　keen；　as　Gesner　relates；　A　man　going　to　a　pond；　where　it　seems　a　Pike　had　devoured　all　the　fish；　to　water　his　mule；　had　a　Pike　bit　his　mule　by　the　lips；　to　which　the　Pike　hung　so　fast；　that　the　mule　drew　him　out　of　the　water；　and　by　that　accident；　the　owner　of　the　mule　angled　out　the　Pike。　And　the　same　Gesner　observes；　that　a　maid　in　Poland　had　a　Pike　bit　her　by　the　foot；　as　she　was　washing　clothes　in　a　pond。　And　I　have　heard　the　like　of　a　woman　in　Killingworth　pond；　not　far　from　Coventry。　But　I　have　been　assured　by　my　friend　Mr。　Segrave；　of　whom　I　spake　to　you　formerly；　that　keeps　tame　Otters；　that　he　hath　known　a　Pike；　in　extreme　hunger；　fight　with　one　of　his　Otters　for　a　Carp　that　the　Otter　had　caught；　and　was　then　bringing　out　of　the　water。　I　have　told　you　who　relate　these　things；　and　tell　you　they　are　persons　of　credit；　and　shall　conclude　this　observation；　by　telling　you；　what　a　wise　man　has　observed；　〃　It　is　a　hard　thing　to　persuade　the　belly；　because　it　has　no　ears　〃。

But　if　these　relations　be　disbelieved；　it　is　too　evident　to　be　doubted；　that　a　Pike　will　devour　a　fish　of　his　own　kind　that　shall　be　bigger　than　his　belly　or　throat　will　receive；　and　swallow　a　part　of　him；　and　let　the　other　part　remain　in　his　mouth　till　the　swallowed　part　be　digested；　and　then　swallow　that　other　part　that　was　in　his　mouth；　an