Do
present this my book as I have named it Barker's
delight, to your Honour. I pray God send you safe home to
your good Lady and sweet Babes. Amen, Amen. If you shall
find any thing delightfull in the reading of it, I shall heartily
rejoyce, for I know you are one who takes delight in that
pleasure, and have good judgement and experience, as many noble
persons & Gentlem. of true piety & honour do & have.
The favour that I have found from you, and a great many more that
did and do love that pleasure, shall never be bury'd in oblivion
by me. I am now grown old, and am willing to enlarge my little
book. I have written no more but my own experience and practise,
and have set forth the true ground of Angling, which I have been
gathering these threescore yeares, having spent many pounds in the
gaining of it, as is well known in the place where I was born and
educated, which is Bracemeale in the Liberty of
Salop, being a Freeman and Burgesse of the same City. If
any noble or gentle Angler, of what degree soever he be, have a
mind to discourse of any of these wayes & experiments, I live
in Henry the 7th's Gifts, the next doore to the
Gatehouse in Westm. my name is Barker, where I shall
be ready, as long as please God, to satisfie them, and maintain my
art, during life, which is not like to be long; that the younger
fry may have my experiments at a smaller charge than I had them,
for, it would be too heavy for every one that loveth that exercise
to be at that charge as I was at first in my youth, the losse of
my time, with great expenses. Therefore I took it in
consideration, and thought fit to let it be understood, & to
take pains to set forth the true grounds and wayes that I have
found by experience both for fitting of the rods and tackles both
for ground-baits and flyes, with directions for the making
thereof, with observations for times and seasons, for the
ground-baits and flyes, both for day and night, with the dressing,
wherein I take as much delight as in the the taking of them, and
to shew how I can perform it, to furnish any Lords table, onely
with trouts, as it is furnished with flesh, for 16 or 20 dishes.
And I have a desire to preserve their health (with help of God) to
go dry in their boots and shooes in angling, for age taketh the
pleasure from me. My Lord, I am
Your Honours most humble
Servant,
Thomas Barker.
In praise of
M. Barkers exce-
lent Book of
Angling.
CArds, Dice, and Tables pick thy
purse;
Drinking and Drabbing bring a curse.
Hawking and Hunting spend thy
chink;
Bowling and Shooting end in drink.
The fighting-Cock, and the
Horse-race
Will sink a good Estate
apace.
Angling doth bodyes
exercise.
And maketh soules holy and
wise:
By
blessed thoughts and meditation:
This, this is Anglers
recreation!
Health, profit, pleasure, mixt
together,
All sport's to this not worth
a feather.
Nagrom Notpoh
Armiger.
Encomium in
Authorem,
Thom: Barkerum.
Dulcis
Molpomene nectarea carmina fundæ
Ut piscatoris laudes. & gaudia
cantem.
Molli
perspicio labentia flumina cursu:
Lubrica dulcisono crepitantia murmure
saxa;
Atque alto
specto ludentes stagmine pisces.
Sprirantem Zephirum, claro tinctumque
colore
Coelum:
mellifluam musam, volueresq; sonantes.
Di[c]e mihi quæ suavis vita, aut quæ
blanda voluptas
Coequare valet piscandi encomia
magna?
Ad Lectorem.
Hic liber eximium cursum
semitamque docebit
Ambrosea timidos escâ deludere
pisces,
Vix faucem
poterant hami vitare dolosi:
Artem piscandi generosam expandit
amoene,
Amnigenos
pisces & arundine vincere longa.
Hic coquus set expers pisces lixare
recaptos,
Atque
parare suis socius, Convivia rara.
Edmund
Swetenham
Gen: Cestriens.
An Encomium on
Mr. Bar-
ker's exquisite Book of the
Art of Angling,
&c.
IN
Helicon though I could dip my quill,
To erect my muse and fathom out thy
skill:
Alas!
too cheap for that which cost so dear;
Great pains, expence and time, full
threescore year.
Thou hast unbowell'd brave Dame
Natures part
In a Vade mecum, with
Heroick art.
Thy Booke's a mirrour, there a
perfect view
Will still remain, to speak thy
praises due.
Perhaps some Rustick currishly will
bark
At thee,
brave Barker: but if in the dark
And silent night thou canst the knave
espie,
With
the captive Trout he soon shall make a die.
Then rogues thy name wil
dread, & from thee gallop
As from the Devil, when 'tis but
Tom of Salop.
But thou ingenuous spirit, follow
him
To
christall streames, where nimble fish do swim
With fins display'd, and
skipping up the streams:
Then (without help of
Phoebus glorious beams)
The Trout shall gorge thy bait with
pleasure store;
Sweet Philomel shall eccho
on the shore.
What now remains? thou hast ensnar'd
the fish,
And
Barkers Art will make a princely dish.
Edward Hopton Gen.
Hamtoniensis.
Friendly
Verses in commenda-
tion of
Mr. Barker's com-
plete work of the
Art
of Angling.
ORgana
piscatorum, ac esca, frequentia piscis,
Tempora piscandi prima, Culina
sciens:
Omnia
Barkeri præbet liber aureus ista.
Artis præceptor cedito, disce,
tace.
Discipulos
docuit transfigere, ludere lymphæ,
Exhaurire: Petri demito rete,
beas.
Thus Englished.
Tackle, Baits,
Fish-haunts, skilfull Cookery,
Best times to fish, these
Barker doth descry.
To strike, play, land thy prize, he
tells thee how;
Art angling teachers all to
him must bow.
Keep thee but from S.
Peters net, and then
Blest be thy soul for aye,
Amen, Amen.
John Perch
Armig.
Pleasant
Hexameter Verses in
praise of Mr. Barkers
Book of
Angling.
TRout,
Carp, Perch, Pike, Roch, Dace, Eele, Tench, Bleke, Gudgeon,
Barbell,
Thy
truth, experience, love, care, cost, skill, doth describe
well.
Valiant, just,
honest, true-hearted, ShrewsburyBarker,
The Art of Angling
discovereth, hitherto darker
Than either Fowling, Hawking, or
hunting the swift Hare,
Markam, Ward,
Lawson, dare you with Barker now compare?
Of Trouts and huge Pikes
you teach us to catch a good dish;
He to make tackle, to kill,
and cook also all fish.
All we good Brethren of the Angle do
give you your due praise;
But on old Tom's head
we mean to put the crown of Baies.
John Hockenhull
Armig. Cestriensis.
On the
choyce Treatise called
Barker's Delight.
COme
come, ye bunglers, learn the skill
The greedy nimble trout to
kill.
For twelve
pence (now) thou maist learn more
Than in an age was known
before;
All baits to
know, tackle to fit,
Brave Barker I commend thy
wit.
What, catch
they Prey, and cook the Fish?
And more than this, Sir, can you
wish?
Radulphus Hoptonus
Gen. Wigorniens.
________________________________
In
Barkeri librum de arte piscandi
Encomium.
BArkeri in laudem, lector, latrare
nolito,
Nam mordere queat dentibus
absq; suis.
Vincere si pisces cupias, documenta
memento
Aurea, scripta libro
commoditate tuâ.
Bark
not at Barker, lest he bite;
But if in angling thou delight,
To kill the Trout,
and cook the Fish,
Follow
his rules and have thy wish.
Per Morganum Hoptonum
Armig.
The Art of
Angling.
Noble Lord,
Nder
favour I will complement and put a case to your Honour. I met with
a man, and upon our discourse he fell out with me, having a good
weapon, but neither stomach nor skil; I say this man may come home
by Weeping cross, I will cause the Clerk to toll his knell. It is
the very like case to the gentleman Angler that goeth to the River
for his pleasure: this Angler hath neither judgement nor
experience, he may come home light laden at his leisure.
A man
that goeth to the River for his pleasure, must understand when he
cometh there to set forth his tackle: The first thing he must do,
is to observe the Sun and the Wind for day, the Moon, the Stars,
and the wanes of the Aire for night, to set forth his tackles for
day or night, and accordingly to go for his pleasure and some
profit.
For example. The
Sun proves cloudy, then must you set forth either your ground bait
tackles, or of the brightest of your flyes. If the Sun prove
bright and clear, then must you put on the darkest of your flyes;
thus must you to work with your flyes, light for darkness, and
dark for lightness, with the wind in the South, which blowes the
fly in the Trouts mouth. Though I set down the wind in the South,
I am indifferent where the wind standeth, either with ground-bait
or menow, so that I can cast my bait into the River. The very same
observation is for night as for day; for, if the Moone prove
clear, or the Stars glitter in the sky, it is as ill angling that
night as if it were high noon in the midst of the summer, when the
Sun shineth at the brightest, wherein there is no hopes of
pleasure.
I will begin to
angle for the Trout, and discourse his qualitie.
The first thing
you must gain must be a neat taper rod light before, with a tender
hasel top which is very gentle, with a single hair of five lengths
long, one tyed to another, for the bottom of my line, and a line
of three haired links for the uppermost part, and so you may kill
the greatest Trout that swims, with sea-room.
Now I say he that
angles with a line made of three haired links for the bottom, and
more at the top, may kill fish, but he that angles with a line
made of one haired link, shall kill five to the others one; for,
the Trout is very quick-sighted, therefore the best way either for
night or day is to keep out of sight.
You must angle
alwayes with the point of the rod down the stream, for trouts have
not quickness of sight so perfect up the stream as they have
opposite against them.
But observe the
seasonable times. For example, we begin to angle in March:
if it prove cloudy, you may angle with the ground baits all day
long: but if it prove bright and clear, you must take evening and
morning, or else you are not like to do good: so times must be
observed and truly understood; for when an angler cometh to the
River for his pleasure, and doth not understand to set forth his
tackles fit for the time, it is as good keep them in the bag as to
set them forth.
Now I am
determined to angle with the ground baits, and set my tackles to
my rod, and go to my pleasure. I begin at the uppermost part of
the stream, carrying my line with an upright hand, feeling my
plummet running truly on the ground some ten inches from the hook,
plumming my line according to the swiftness of the stream I angle
in, for one plummet will not serve for all streams; for the true
angling is that the plummet run truly on the ground.
For the
bait, the red knotted worm is very good, where Brandlins are not
to be had; but Brandlins are better.
Now I will shew
you how to make these Brandlins fit to angle with, and to make
them lusty and fat, that they may live long on the hook, which
causeth the best sport; for that is a chief point, and causeth the
best sport.
You must take the
yolk of an egg, and some eight or ten spoonfulls of the top of new
milk, beaten well together in a porringer, warm it a little until
you see it curdle, then take it off the fire and set it to cool;
when it is cold, take a spoonful and drop it on the moss in an
earthen pot, every drop about the bigness of a green pease,
shifting your moss twice in the summer, and once a week in the
winter. Thus doing, you shall feed your worms and make them fat
and lusty, that they will live long and be lusty and lively on
your hook. And thus you may keep them all the year long. This is
my true experiment for the ground baits, with the running line for
the trout.
My Lord, I will
now shew the angling with a Menow (called in some places Pincks)
for the Trout, which is a pleasant sport, and killeth the greatest
fish: The Trout cometh boldly at the bait, as if it were a
Mastiffe dog at a Beare; you may angle with greater Tackles and
stronger, and be no prejudice in your Angling. A line made of
three silks and three hairs twisted for the uppermost part of your
line, and a line made of two silks and two hairs twisted for the
bottome next your hook, with a swivel nigh the middle of your
line, and an indifferent long hook. But if you can attain to angle
with a line of foure haired links for the uppermost part, and a
line of three haired links for the bottom, for the finer you angle
with, it is the better.
Now I must shew
you how to bait the menow on your hook: You must put your hook
through the lowermost part of the menow's mouth, so draw your hook
through; then put the hook in at the mouth again, let the point of
the hook come out at the hindmost fin; then draw your line and the
menow's mouth will close, that no water get into its belly; you
must be alwayes angling with the point of your rod down the
stream, drawing your menow up the side of the stream by little
& little, nigh the top of the water; the trout seeing the
bait, cometh at it most fiercely; give a little time before you
strike. This is the true way without lead, for many times I have
had them come at the lead and forsake the menow. He that trieth
shall prove it in time.
My Lord, I will
shew you the way to angle with a flye, which is a delightfull
sport.
The rod must be
light and tender, if you can fit your self with a hasel of one
piece, or of two pieces set together in the most convenient
manner, light and gentle. Set your line to your rod, for the
uppermost part you may use your own discretion, for the lowermost
part next your flye it must be of three or four haired links. If
you can attain to angle with a line of one hair, two or three
links one tyed to another next your hook, you shall have more
rises and kill more fish. Be sure you do not overload your self
with lengths of your line. Before you begin to angle make a
triall, having the wind on your back, to see at what length you
can cast your flye, that the flye light first into the water, and
no longer, for if any of the line fall into the water before the
flye, it is better uncast than thrown. Be sure you be casting
alwayes down the stream with the wind behind you, and the Sun
before you. It is a speciall point to have the Sun and moon before
you, for the very motion of the rod drives all the pleasure from
you, either by day or by night in all your anglings, both with
worms and flyes, there must be a great care of that.
Let us
begin to angle in March with the flye. If the weather prove windy
or cloudy, there are severall kinds of Palmers that are good for
that time.
First, a black
Palmer ribbed with silver. Secondly, a black Palmer ribbed with an
orenge-tawny body. Thirdly, a black Palmer made all of black.
Fourthly, a red Palmer ribbed with gold. Fifthly, a red palmer
mixed with an orenge tawny body of cruell. All these flyes must be
made with hackles, and they will serve all the year long morning
and evening, windy or cloudy. Without these flyes you cannot make
a dayes angling good. I have heard say that there is for every
moneth in the year a flye for that moneth; but that is but talk,
for there is but one monethly flye in the yeare, that is the
May-flye. Then if the aire prove clear you must imitate the
Hawthorn flye, which is all black and very small, the smaller the
better. In May take the May flye, imitate that. Some make it with
a shammy body, and ribbed with a black hair. Another way it is
made with sandy hogs hair ribbed with black silk, and winged with
Mallards feathers, according to the fancy of the angler, if he
hath judgement. For first, when it comes out of the shell, the
flye is somewhat whiter, then afterwards it growes browner, so
there is judgement in that. There is another fly called the
oak-flye that is a very good flye, which is made of orenge colour
cruell and black, with a brown wing, imitate that. There is
another flye made with the strain of a Peacocks feather, imitating
the Flesh-flye, which is very good in a bright day. The
Grasse-hopper which is green, imitate that. The smaller these
flyes be made, and of indifferent small hooks, they are the
better. These sorts which I have set down will serve all the year
long, observing the times and seasons, if the angler have any
judgement. Note the lightest of your flies for cloudy and dark,
and the darkest of your flyes for the brightest dayes, and the
rest for indifferent times; a mans own j[u]dgement with some
experience must guide him: If he mean to kill fish he must alter
his flyes according to these directions. Now of late I have found
that hogs wooll of several colours makes good bodies, & the
wooll of a red heifer makes a good body, and beares wooll makes a
good body: there are many good furres that make good bodies: and
now I work much of hogs wooll, for I finde it floateth best and
procureth the best sport.
The naturall flye
is sure angling, and will kill great store of trouts with much
pleasure. As for the May flie you shall have him playing alwayes
at the rivers side, especially against rain: the Oak flie is to be
had on the but of an oak or an ash, from the beginning of May to
the end of August; it is a brownish flie, and standeth alwaies
with his head towards the root of the tree, very easie to be
found: the small black fly is to be had on every hathorn tree
after the buds be come forth: your grasse-hopper which is to be
had in any medow of grass in June or July. With these flies you
must angle with such a rod as you angle with the ground bait: the
line must not be so long as the rod, drawing your flye as you find
convenient in your angling! When you come to the deep waters that
stand somewhat still, make your line two yards long or
thereabouts, and dop or drop your flye behind a bush, which
angling I have had good sport at; we call it
dopping.
My Lord sent to me
at Sun going down to provide him a good dish of Trouts against the
next morning by sixe of the clock, I went to the door to see how
the wanes of the aire were like to prove. I returned answer, that
I doubted not, God willing, but to be provided at his time
appointed. I went presently to the river, and it proved very dark,
I drew out a line of three silks and three hairs twisted for the
uppermost part, and a line of two hairs and two silks twisted for
the lower part, with a good large hook: I baited my hook with two
lob-worms, the four ends hanging as meet as I could guess them in
the dark, I fell to angle. It proved very dark, so that I had good
sport angling with the lob worms as I do with the flye on the top
of the water; you shall hear the fish rise at the top of the
water, then you must loose a slack line down to the bottom as nigh
as you can guess, then hold your line strait, feeling the fish
bite, give time, there is no doubt of losing fish, for there is
not one among twenty but doth gorge the bait; the least stroke you
can strike fastens the hook and makes the fish sure; letting the
fish take a turn or two you may take the fish up with your hands.
The night began to alter and grow somewhat lighter, I took off the
lob-worms and set to my rod a white Palmer-flye, made of a large
hook; I had sport for the time untill it grew lighter; so I took
off the white Palmer and set to a red Palmer made of a large hook;
I had good sport untill it grew very light: then I took off the
red Palmer and set to a black Palmer; I had good sport, made up
the dish of fish. So I put up my tackles and was with my Lord at
his time appointed for the service.
These three flyes
with the help of the lob-worms serve to angle all the year for the
night, observing the times as I have shewed you in this
night-work, the white flye for darknesse, the red flye in
medio, and the black flye for lightnesse. This is the true
experience for angling in the night, which is the surest angling
of all, and killeth the greatest Trouts. Your lines may be strong,
but must not be longer then your rod.
THe
rod light and taper, thy tackle fine,
Thy lead ten inches upon the
line;
Bigger
or lesse, according to the stream,
Angle in the dark, when others
dream:
Or in
a cloudy day with a lively worm,
The Brandlin is best, but give
him a turn
Before thou do land a large wel grown
Trout.
And if with a flye thou wilt have about,
Overload not with links,
that the flye nay fall
First on the stream, for
that's all in all.
The line shorter than the rods, with
a naturall flye:
But the chief point of all is
the cookery.
Now
having taken a good dish of Trouts I presented them to my Lord. He
having provided good company, commanded me to turn Cook and dress
them for dinner. Whereu[pon] I gave my Lord this bill of fare,
which did furnish his table as it was furnished with flesh.
Trouts in
broth, which is restorative, which must be boyled in milk,
putting to it some large mace, letting it boyle up. Before you put
the trouts into the Kettle, the trouts must be drawn and clean
washed before you put them in. So keep them with high boyling,
untill you think them boyled sufficient. Then you must take a
slice or two of good sweet butter and put into your dish, so pour
on the broth, having provided the yolks of half a dozen eggs,
being very well beaten in a dish or porringer, pour it into your
broth, so stir it well; I make no doubt it will be good
broth.
The broth eaten,
provide for the sauce some butter, the inner part of a lemmon, the
yolk of an egge well beaten together, so pour it into the dish, I
make no doubt but it will be well liked of. If they doe not like
of this broth, when you boyle other trouts for the service, let
the trouts be boyled sufficiently in such liquor as I will shew
you now following. You may take the quantity of a quart of the top
of the liquor with half a pint of Sack, boyle it together, then
provide the yolks of halfe a dozen eggs well beaten together; beat
all this together with a slice or two of good sweet butter; no
doubt but this will be very good.
Now we must have
two dishes of calvored Trouts hot. For the first course the sauce
shall be butter and vinegar, 2 or 3 Anchoves, the bones taken out,
beaten together with the yolk of one egge for one of the dishes,
with a lemmon squeezed on them. For the other dish the sauce and
purtenances shall be a quart of oysters stewed in half a pint of
Whitewine, so put on the fish, then butter and vinegar being well
beaten, with the yolk of an egge poured on that, squeezing a
lemmon on the fish, there is no doubt but they will be eaten with
delight.
Out of this kettle
we must have two dishes to eat cold for the latter course.
First I
will shew you the punctuall boyling and calvoring of four
dishes.
You must draw out
the entrails of the fish, cutting the fish two or three times
crosse the backe, lay them on a tray or platter, sprinkle a little
salt on them, you must have a quart of vinegar put in a skellet
and let it boyle, when it boyles take it off the fire and pour it
upon your fish, you shall see your fish rise presently, if they be
new, and there is no doubt of calvoring; you must put so much
water in your kettle as you think will cover them; you must put in
a handful of salt, some rosemary, thyme, and sweet marjoram in a
bunch; then you must make this liquor boyle with a fierce fire
made of wood: when the liquor hath boyled very well, put in your
fish by and by untill you have put in all, keeping them boyling,
having provided a cover for your kettle, so put on the cover; you
must have a pair of bellows to blow up your fire with speed, that
the liquor may boyl up to the top of the kettle, then put in the
vinegar that you poured on them before you put them into the
kettle, then blow up your liquor with a fierce fire, for the
fierce boyling makes the fish to calvor: if the fish be new killed
you may let them boyle a quarter of an hour; when they are cold
you may put them into a tray or earthen pan, and make such use of
them as you have for the the other services, and the rest you may
put into a pan untill you have oocasion to use them; be sure they
lie covered in the liquor they were boyled in. First put in the
one Trout: let one blow up the fire untill the liquor boyle, then
put in another; so do untill all are in and boyled.
We must
have one dish of Broyled Trouts, when the intrails be taken out,
you must cut them across the side: being washed clean, you must
take some sweet herbs, as thyme, sweet marjoram, and parlsey
chopped very small, the trouts being cut somewhat thick, and fill
the cuts full with the chopt herbs, then make your gridiron fit to
put them on, being well cooked with rough suet, then lay the
Trouts on a charcoal-fire: as you turn them bast them with fresh
butter untill you think they are well broyled: the sauce must be
butter and vinegar, the yolk of an egge beaten, beat all together
and put it on the fish for the service.
To fry a dish of
Trouts you must take such a quantity of suet as you shall think
sufficient to fry them, and put it in your pan, and be sure that
it boyle before you put in your fish, being cut on the side and
floured, you must keep them with sitting all the time you are
frying them: being fryed sufficiently, when you have dished them
the sauce must be butter, vinegar, and some lemmon, but very
small, and beaten with your butter and vinegar, then poured on
your fish for the service.
The best dish of
stewed fish that ever I heard commended of the English, was
dressed this way: First they were broiled on a charcoale fire,
being cut on the side as fried Trouts, then the stwe pan was taken
and set on a chaffingdish of coles, there was put into the
stew-pan half a pound of sweet butter, one peniworth of beaten
cinnamon, a little vinegar; when all was melted the fish was put
into the pan, and covered with a covering plate, so kept stewing
half an hour, being turned, then taken out of the stew-pan and
dished, be sure to beat your sauce before you put it on your fish,
then squeeze a lemmon on your fish: it was the best dish of fish
that ever I heard commended by Noblemen and Gentlemen. This is our
English fashion.
There are divers
wayes of stewing; this which I set down last was the English way:
But note this, that your stewed trouts must be cut on the side:
you may make a dish of stwewed trouts out of your boyling kettle,
stewing of them with the same materialls as I did the broiled
trouts, I dare warrant them good meat, and to be very well
liked.
The Italian he
stews upon a chaffing-dish of coles, with whitewine, cloves and
mace, nutmegs sliced, a little ginger; you must understand when
this fish is stewed, the same liquor that the fish is stewed in
must be beaten with some sweet butter and juice of a lemmon,
before it is dished for the service. The French doth adde to this
a slice or two of bacon, Though I have been no [t]raveller I may
speak it, for I have been admitted into the most Ambassadors
Kitchins that have come into England this forty years, and do wait
on them stil at the Lord Protector's charge, and am paid duly for
it: for sometimes I see slovenly scullions abuse good fish most
grosly.
We must have a
Trout pie to eat hot, and another to eat cold: the first thing you
must gain must be a peck of the best wheaten flower, two pound of
butter, two quarts of milk new from the Cow, half a dozen of eggs
to make the past. Where I was born there is not a girle of ten
yeares of age, but can make a pie.
For one pie, the
trouts shall be opened, and the guts taken out and clean washed,
seasoned with pepper and salt, then laid in the pie, half a pound
of currans put among the fish with a pound of sweet butter cut in
pieces, and set on the fish, so close it up; when it is baked and
come out of the oven, pour into the pie three or four spoonfulls
of claret wine, so dish it and serve to the table. These trouts
shall eat moist and close.
For the other pie
the trouts shall be broyled a little, it will make the fish rise
and eat more crisp: season them with pepper and salt and lay them
in the pie: you must put more butter in this pie than the other,
for this will keep, and must be filled up with butter when it
cometh forth of the oven.
There is one good
trout of a good length, some eighteen or twentry inches long, we
will have that rosted.
You must take out
the intrails of this trout with opening the trout one inch at the
upper end of his belly, as nigh the gills as you can; then open
the trout within one inch of the vent, so you may take the
intailes clean out: then wash the trout very clean, keeping the
belly whole: then take half a pound of sweet butter, some thyme,
sweet marjoram and parsley chopt very small, mix the butter and
herbs together and put them into his belly, with half a dozen of
oysters, sew up the two slits wih a needle and thred as well as
you can: there are broches made to rost a fish, for want of that
broch you must take an ordinary broch and spit the fish on; take
four or five small laths full the length of the fish, tie those
laths on about the fish with a piece of packthred from one end to
the other, make the fish fast on the spit, set the spit to the
fire; the first thing you bast the fish with must be a little
claret wine, next you must bast with butter, with an anchovas
beaten together, then bast with the liquor that falleth from the
fish untill the fish is rosted; when the fish is rosted take a
warm dish and cut the fish off into that dish; then beat the sauce
that came from the fish very well, and pour it on the fish, and
serve it up.
I will shew you
the way to marionate a trout or other fish, that it shall
keep a quarter of a year in the heat of summer, which is the
Italians rarest dish for fresh fish, and will eat perfect and
sweet.
You must take out
the intrailes and cut them on the side as you do to fry: being
washed clean and dried with a cloth, lay them on a tray or board,
sprinkle a little salt on them, flower them as to fry them, so
take your frying pan with so much suet as when it is melted the
fish may lie up to the mid-sides in the liquor, fry them, and
every time you turn them flower again, untill you finde that they
are fried sufficiently: when you think the fish is dried, take it
out of the pan and lay it upon something that the liquor may drein
out of it: when the fish is cold you may rear it on end; you must
provide a close vessel to keep this fish and liquor in, that no
wind can come in, according to the quantity you make triall of;
the liquor must be half claretwine, the other half vinegar, two or
three bay leaves, so much saffron as a nut tied in a cloth, with
some cloves and large mace, and some nutmegs sliced: boyl all this
together very well, when the liquor is cold and the fish cold put
the liquor into a close vessell, and put the fish into it, then
slice three or four lemmons and lay among your fish, make all
close that no wind can come into the vessell. After eight or ten
dayes you may begin to eat of this fish; the sauce to eat with
this fish must be some of the same liquor with some of the sliced
lemmon. You must understand that this fish must have a little time
before it will come to his kind.
REstorative broth of Trouts learne to
make:
Some fry and some stew, and some also bake.
First broyl and then
bake, is a rule of good skill,
And when thou dost fortune a
great trout to kill,
Then rost him, and baste first with
good claret wine,
But the colvor'd boyl'd trout
will make thee to dine
With dainty contentment, both the hot
and the cold,
And the marrienate Trout I
dare to be bold
For a quarter of a year wil keep to
thy mind,
If covered close &
preserved from wind.
But mark well good brother, what now
I doe say,
Sauce made of Anchoves is an
excellent way,
With oysters and lemmon,
clove, nutmeg and mace,
When the brave spotted trout
hath been boyled apace
With ma[n]y sweet herbs: for forty
years I
In Ambassadours Kitchins
learn'd my cookery.
The French and Italian no better can
doe,
Observe well my rules and you'l say so too.
_________________________________________
I will now shew you
the way to take a Salmon.
THe first thing you must gain must be
a rod of some ten foot in the stock, that will carry a top of six
foot pretty stiffe and strong, the reason is, because there must
be a little wire ring at the upper end of the top for the line to
run through, that you may take up and loose the line at your
pleasure; you must have your winder within two foot of the bottom
to goe on your rod made in this manner, with a spring, that you
may put it on as low as you please.
The Salmon swimmeth
most commonly in the midst of the river. In all his travells his
desire is to see the uppermost part of the river, travelling on
his journey in the heat of the day he may take a bush; if the
fisherman espy him, he goeth at him with his speare, so shortneth
his journey.
The angler that
goeth to catch him with a line and hook, must angle for him as
nigh the middle of the water as he can with one of these baits: He
must take two lob-worms baited as handsomly as he can, that the
four ends may hang meet of a length, and so angle as nigh the
bo[t]tom as he can, feeling your plummet run on the ground some
twelve inches from the hook: if you angle for him with a flie
(which he will rise at like a Trout) the flie must be made of a
large hook, which hook must carry six wings, or four at least;
there is judgement in making those flyes. The Salmon will come at
a Gudgeon in the manner of a trouling, and cometh at it bravely,
which is fine angling for him and good. You must be sure that you
have your line of twenty six yards of length, that you may have
your convenient time to turne him, or else you are in danger to
lose him: but if you turn him you are very like to have the fish
with small tackles: the danger is all in the running out both of
Salmon and Trout, you must forecast to turn the fish as you do a
wild horse, either upon the right or the left hand, & wind up
your line as you finde occasion in the guiding the fish to the
shore, having a good large landing hook to take him up.
This
fish being killed, if it be not boyled well, then all your labor
and pains is lost. If you boyl the fish whole, you must take out
the intrailes, cutting the fish three or four times crosse the
back, and an inch along the back three or four times crossing the
former cuts; by that reason you shall see whether he calvors or
no. then you must take a tray according to the length of the
Salmon, being dried with a clean cloth; then you must take the
Salmon and lay it on the tray, so salt the fish within and without
with an indifferent hand, that will give a good relish. Then you
must take a quart of the best whitewine vinegar and put it in a
skellet and set it on the fire, and let it boyle well and high, so
pour it all along on your Salmon, you shall see the Salmon rise
presently, and very like to calvor, if the Salmon be new killed,
so let it lie untill you are ready to spend it. Then you must take
such a pan or kettle that you think the Salmon will lie well in,
and set it on the fire made of good drie faggots, and put so much
water in the pan or kettle as you think will cover the fish and no
more, with two or three handfulls of salt, one pint of vinegar, a
good bunch of rosemary, thyme and sweet marjoram tied together,
make this liquor boyle very high, then put in your Salmon, having
a good paire of bellowes to blow up your fire that the liquor may
boyle with speed, then put the vinegar in that was put on the
Salmon first, make it boyle up presently, so take your cover and
put on, keeping the liquor and Salmon boyling with a fierce fire
nigh the space of an hour. If you chine the Salmon and cut the
fish in pieces, somewhat lesse boyling will serve. If you keep it
to eat cold you must put the liquor and fish all cold together,
and make it close, that as little wind come in as you can. If you
will eat any of this hot, the sauce is butter, a little vinegar, a
lemmon shred very small, beaten together, then the yolks of two
eggs beaten & put in the sauce, & beaten very well all
together; so being dished pour it on the fish and serve it up to
the table, I do not doubt but the dish will be well liked.
CLose to the botom in the midst of the
water
I
fished for a Salmon and there I caught her.
My Plummet twelve inches
from the large hook,
Two lob-wormes hang'd equall, which
she never forsook.
Nor yet the great hook with the six
winged flye,
And she makes at a gudgeon most
furiously.
My
strong line was just twenty six yards long,
I gave him a turne
though I found him strong.
I wound up my tackle to guide him to
shore;
The
landing hook helps much, the cookery more.
N O W we will
see whether we can take a Pike.
There was one of
my name the best Trouler for a Pike within this Realm of England:
the manner of his trouling was with a hasell rod some twelve foot
long, with a ring of wire in the top of the rod for his line to
run through: within two foot of the bottom of the rod there was a
hole made to put in a winder to turn with a barrell, to gather up
his line and loose it at his pleasure. This was his manner of
trouling with a small fish.
There are severall
other wayes to take Pikes.
There is a way to
take a Pike, which is called the taking a Pike by snap, for
which angling you must have a pretty strong rod, for you must
angle with a line no longer than your rod, which must be very
strong, that you may hold the fish to it; your hook must be strong
and armed with wire of two lengths long: you must bait the fish
with the head upwards, and the point must come forth of his side a
little above his vent. In all your baitings for a Pike you must
enter the needle where the point cometh forth, so draw your arming
through untill the hook lieth according as you think fit, them
make it fast with a little thred to the wire, so fall to work: the
bait must be a Gudgeon if you can get it, or a small Trout, which
is the best, or else some other small fish.
Now I will pawn my
credit that I will shew a way either in mayre, or pond, or river,
that shall take more pikes than any trouler shall do with his rod.
And thus it is: First take a forked stick, a line of twelve yards
long wound upon it. At the upper end leave a yard either to tie a
bunch of fags or a bladder to boy up the fish, to carry the bait
from the ground, that the fish may swim clear. The bait must be a
live fish, either dace, gudgeon, or roche, or a small trout. The
forked stick must have a slit on the one side of the fork, that
you may put the line in, that the live fish may swim at that gage
you set the fish to swim at, that when the Pike taketh the bait,
the Pike may have the full liberty of the line for his feed; you
may turne all these loose, either in pond or river all day long,
the more the better, and do it in a pond with the wind: at night
set a small weight, such as may stay the boy, as a ship lieth at
anchor, untill the fish feedeth: for the river you must turn all
loose with the stream, two or three be sufficient to shew
pleasure. Gaged at such a depth they will goe current down the
stream: there is no doubt of pleasure if there be Pikes; the hooks
must be double hooks, the shanks must be somewhat shorter than
ordinary. My reason is, the shorter the hooks be in the shank, it
will hurt the live fish the lesse, and it must be armed with small
wire well seasoned: But I hold a hook armed with twisted silk to
be better, for it will hurt the live fish the lesse. If you arme
your hook with wire, the needle must be made with a hook at the
end thereof: if you arm your hook with silk, if it be double the
same needle will serve; but if you arm the hook single, the needle
must be made with an eye, and then you must take one of the baits
alive, which you can get, and with one of your needles enter the
fish within a straw breadth of the gill; so put the needle in
betwixt the skin & the fish, then put the needle out at the
hindmost fin, and so to come forth at the gill, then put on the
hook, and it will hurt the live fish the lesse: so knit the arming
with the live fish to the line, then put off either in maire or
pond, with the wind, in the river, with the stream, the more you
put of them in the maire, you are like to have the more pleasure:
for the river three or four will be sufficient.
There is a time
when pikes go a frogging, and also to sun themselves, there is a
speedy way to take them, and not to misse one in twenty. You must
take a line made of good twisted thred of some six or eight foot
long; arm a large hook of some two inches in the bent betwixt
beard and bent, arme it to your line, lead the shank of the hook
very handsome, that it may guide the hook at your pleasure; you
may strike the Pike where you please, as you see good, with the
bare hook. This line and hook doth goe beyond all snaring.
The
principall sport to take a Pike is to take a Goose, or Gander, or
Duck, take one of the Pikes lines, as I have shewed you before,
tie the line under the left wing and over the right wing, as a man
weareth his belt, turne the Goose off in a pond where Pikes are,
there is no doubt of pleasure betwixt the Goose and the Pike. It
is the greatest pleasure that a noble Gentleman in Shropshire
giveth his friends for entertainment. There is no question among
all this fishing but we shall take a brace of good Pikes.
I will
now shew you the way to dresse them.
The first thing
you must doe when the Pike comes in the Kitchin, if it be alive,
is to knock the Pike in the head, that the Pike may bleed, then
take an handfull of salt and water, so rub him and scoure him to
take the slime off, or else there will be durty meat; then take
out the intrailes, cut the Pike crosse the back two or three
times, salt it well within and without, set on your Kettle with so
much water as will cover the Pike, put in three or four handfulls
of salt, some good rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, tied together,
three or 4 onions, so make your liquor boyle very high with a good
fire made of dry faggots, then put in your pike, having your
bellowes to blow up the fire that the liquor may boyle up to the
top of the Kettle for the space of half an hour, by that time it
may be boyled sufficiently; then take the Kettle off the fire,
then provide a quart of oysters and stew them in half a pint of
white-wine; then take half a pound of good butter, you make take a
little of the liquor off the top of the Kettle, beat the butter
and liquor together with 2 or 3 anchoves, the skin taken off and
the bones taken out, with a piece of lemmon chopped very small,
beat all these together, beat the yolk of an egge & put it
into the sauce, then beat all together, so dish your Pike, put the
oysters on first, then pour on your sauce, there is no doubt but
it will be good victualls.
In the Country
where I was born we had spits made of iron to rost a Pike or a
Carp; you must take water and salt and rub the fish well to take
the slime off. To take the intrailes out you must open the fish,
cutting the fish an inch in the uppermost part of the belly, and
one inch at the vent, so you may take out the intrailes and keep
the belly whole: wash the Pike cleane, take halfe a pound of sweet
butter, mix the butter with sweet herbs well chopped, put in the
Pikes belly with halfe a dozen of oysters, make your cuts as close
as you can. For want of such a broch you must have four or five
thin laths, so tie the fish on with some packthred from one end to
the other, so set your spit to the fire to rost; when it begins to
dry a little, take three or four spoonfulls of Claret wine, and
baste it first therewith, then take a quarter of a pound of good
butter and melt it in a porringer; take two or three anchoves, the
skin taken off and bones taken out, beat the butter and anchoves
together untill the anchoves be dissolved, then baste the fish
with that next, so baste all along with that liquor that falleth
from the fish, then warme the dish that must goe to the table, and
cut the packthred and let it fall into that dish, so take the
liquor that is fallen from the fish and beat it very well
together, and pour it on the fish, squeezing a lemon or two on the
fish, no doubt but the fish will be eaten and wel liked.
A
Rod twelve foot long, and a ring of wire,
A winder and barrell will help thy
desire
In
killing a Pike, but the forked stick
With a slit and a bladder, and that
other fine trick,
Which our Artists call Snap, with a
Goose or a Duck,
Will kil two for one if thou have any
luck.
The
Gentry of Shropshire do merrily smile,
To see a Goose and a belt the fish to
beguile.
When
a Pike suns himselfe and a frogging doth go,
The two inched hook is
better I know
Than the ord'nary snaring: but still
I must cry
When the Pike is at home minde the
cookery.
To
take a Carp either in pond or river, if you mean to have sport
with some profit, you must take a peck of ale graines and a good
quantity of blood, so mix the the blood and graines together,
casting it in the place where you mean to angle; this will gather
all the scale-fish together, as Carp, Tench, Roch, Dace, and
Bream. The next morning be at your sport very early: plumme your
ground, you may angle for the Carp with stronger tackles than
ordinary, with a strong line; for your roch and Dace you must
angle with fine tackles as single haired lines, if you mean to
have sport: the bait must be either a knotted worme or paste for a
Carp, but for your Roch and Dace your bait must be either wormes,
paste, or gentles, or cadice, or a flye. There is no doubt of
sport.
LAte
in the evening the ale graines and blood,
Being well mixt together is bait very
good
For
Carp, Tench and Roch, and Dace to prepare,
If early in the morning at the river
you are.
Strong tackle for Carp; for Roch and
Dace fine,
Will help thee with fish sufficient
for to dine.
For the Carp let thy bait the knotted
worm be,
The
rest love the cadice, the paste and the flye.
To
take a Perch, The Perch feeds well if you light where they be,
and biteth very free. My opinion with some experience is to feed
with lob-worms chopped in pieces over night; so in the morning
betimes, plumming your ground, gaging your line, bait with a red
knotted worm, but I hold a menow to be better to bait: put your
hook in at the back of the menow betwixt the flesh & the skin,
that the menow may swim up and down, your line being boyed up with
a cork or quill, that the menow may swim up and down a foot from
the ground, there is no doubt of sport and profit.
For the
Chub and Barbell I have no minde to spend much time,
because I do not love them, the reason is, because the fish is
very full of bones, and in my opinion they are good no way but
baked in a pot, putting into the pot half a pint of Claret to
dissolve the bones, and then you may eat them somewhat safely. For
the Chub you may angle with a flye or a black snaile; and if you
take him, if you do not like that way of dressing, you may slit
the fish along the back, the scales being taken off, and the
intrails taken out, and flower it, so fry it: see whether this
dressing is better than baking. A good sauce may make the fish eat
better: the sauce is butter, a little vinegar, with a lemmon
chopped very small, beaten well together. This may make the fish
eat the better.
For the Barbell, I
have taken great ones in Ware river with wormes, for I know
no better bait than wormes: you have a kind of fishing for them at
London bridge with three or four hooks fixt to a line with
a great plummet, so scratch for them. I was acquainted with
Nicholas Harridans that lived nigh Algate, who hath killed
many a dish of Barbells that way with scratching, and he would
tell me that they were good souced & no other way, but I have
eaten some boyled, but I did not fancy them.
The Gudgeon
is a dainty fish to eat being dressed when they are new taken,
either fried or boyled, and bites very well. If you come where
they are you must angle for them with fine tackle, plummed, that
your bait goeth nigh the ground with cork or quill: for the bait,
there is a worm which is a little short worme, and is called a
Gild-taile, which is the best bait I know for them. For the
dressing, you may take your choice, either boyled or fryed; the
sauce is butter and a little vinegar, to give the relish, well
beaten together, with a little piece of a lemmon to squeeze on
them. I make no question but you will like them well.
There
are many wayes to take Eeles: I will shew you a good way to
take a dish of Eeles. When you stay a night or two to angle in a
river or pond, take four or five lines of some twelve or fourteen
yards long, & every two yards make a noose to hang a hook
armed with double thred, for it is better than wire. Bait your
hooks with millers thumbs, loaches, menows, or gudgons, tie to
every line a hook baited. The lines must be laid cross the river
in the deepest places, either with stones or pegged, so that the
line lay close to the bottom of the river, there is no doubt of
taking a dish of Eeles. You must have a small needle with an eye
to bait your hooks.
There is a fish in my Countrey
(viz. Shropshire) called a Grayling, which swimmeth
in the gallant river of Severn, and all the summer lie in
the shallow streams of the River, and cometh very free at the top
of the water, with much delight and profit. The manner of angling
for him is with a good long rod with casting. The bait must be
either a small artificiall or a nature flye. The oak flye is easie
to be had there, either on the butt of an oak or the butt of an
ash. Sometimes these flyes will not be found, then you must
provide some cod bait, they lie in a gravelly husk under stones in
most small rivers. The May-flye breedeth on that worm, and doth
continue until the end of May. This fish is a dainty eating fish;
you may make as many good eating dishes of it as of a Trout, four
severall wayes.
Now the way to
angle with the Cod bait (as we call it) but named here a cadice,
is as followeth.
You must angle
with a long rod, but light, your line somewhat longer than the
rod. The Grayling feedeth at the top of the water. You must have a
little float of cork so big around as a hasell nut, when the fish
taketh the bait he flyeth away, so that you shall see the cork
flee after the fish, then strike; but you must consider this
angling is without lead.
We have Fishermen
in that Countrey that will go thirty or forty miles by land, and
carry their boat on their back, and so angle down all the way
home, with this way of angling, providing a little weele made of
wicker to carry their fish, so that they will bring home all their
fish alive, whereby they make a very profitable journey.
There
comes an honest Gentleman, a familiar freind to me, he was an
angler, begins to complement with me and asked me how I did, and
when I had been angling, and demanded in discourse, what was the
reason I did not relate in my book the dressing of his dish of
fish which he loved; I pray you sir, said I, what dish of Trouts
was that? He said it was a dish of close boyled Trouts buttered
with eggs. My answer was to him, that every scullion dresseth that
dish against his will, because he cannot calvor them; I will tell
you in short: Put your Trouts into the Kettle when the Kettle is
set on the fire, and let them boyle gently, as many Cooks doe, and
they shall boyle close enough, which is a good dish buttered with
eggs, good for ploughmen, but not for the palate. Sir, I hope I
have given you satisfaction.
Now, I will shew
you how to make flyes. Learn to make two flyes and make all, that
is, the Palmer ribbed with gold or silver, and the Mayflye. These
are the ground of all flyes.
We will begin to
make the Palmer-flye. You must arm your line on the in-side your
hook, then take your sizzers and cut so much of the browne of the
Mallards feather as in your owne reason shall make the wings, then
lay the outermost part of the feather near the hook, and the point
of the feather next toward the shank of the hook, so whip it three
or four times about the hook with the same silk you armed the hook
with , so make your silk fast; then you must take the hackle of a
cock or capon, or a plovers top feather, then take the hackle,
silk, or cruell, gold or silver thred, make all fast at the bent
of the hook, then begin to work with the cruell, and silver thred,
work it up to the wings, every bout shifting your fingers and
making a stop, then the cruell and silver will fall right, then
make fast, then work up the hackle to the same place, then make
the hackle fast; then you must take the hook betwixt your fingers
and thumb in the left hand, with a needle or pin part the wings in
two, so take the silk you have wrought with all this while, and
whip once about the shank that falleth crosse betwixt the wings;
than with your thumb you must turn the point of the feather
towards the bent of the hook, so view the proportion.
For
other flyes, if you make the grounds of hogs wooll, sandy, or
black, or white, or the wooll [of] a beare, or of a two-year old
red bullock; you must work all the grounds upon a waxed silk, then
you must arm and set on the wings, as I have shewed you
before.
For the May-flye,
you must work with some of these grounds, which it is very good
ribbed with a black hair; you may work the body with a cruell,
imitating the colour, or with silver suitable to the wings.
For the
oak-flie, you must take orenge-colour tawny, and black for the
body, and the browne of the Mallards feather for the wings. If you
do after my directions they will kill fish, observing the times
fitting, and following former directions.
If any worthy or
honest Angler cannot hit of these my directions, let him come to
me, he shall read and I will work, he shall see all things done
according to my foresaid directions. So I conclude for the flye,
having shewed you my true experience.
A
Brother of the Angle must alwaies be sped
With three black Palmers, & also
two red,
And
all made with Hackles: in a cloudy day,
Or in windy weather, angle you
may:
But
morning and evening, if the day be bright,
And the chief point of all is to keep
out of sight.
In the moneth of May, none but the
May-flye;
For
every month one, is a pitiful lye:
The black hawthorn flye must be very
small,
And
the sandy hogs haire is sure best of all
For the Mallard wing'd May-flye; and
the Peacocks train
Will look like the flesh-flye to kill
Trout amaine.
The oak flye is good, if it have a
brown wing,
So is the Grashopper that in July
doth sing,
With a green body, make him on a
midle siz'd hook;
But when you have catcht fish, then
play the good Cook.
Once more my good brother, Ile speak
in thy eare,
Hogs, red Cows, & Bears wooll, to
float best appear,
And so doth your fur, if rightly it
fall;
But
alwayes remember, make two and make all.
I could
set down as many wayes to dress Eeles as would furnish a Lords
table, but I will relate but one.
Take off the skin whole untill
you come within two inches of the taile; beginning at the head
take out the intrailes, wash the eele clean, dry it with a cloth,
scotch it all along on both the sides; take some pepper and salt,
mix them together, rub the Eele very well with the pepper and
salt; draw the skin on again whole, tie the skin about the head
with a little thred lapped round; it must be broyled on a charcole
fire, let your gridiron be hot, rub your gridiron well with rough
suet, then the skin will neither break nor burn. The Eele will
broyl in his own liquor, and will be a good dish. But, take the
skin off and stew the Eele betwixt two dishes upon a chaffindish
of coles, with sweet butter, a little vinegar, with some beaten
cinnamon, that will be a rare dish.
The boyling of a Carp is the
very same way as I have shewed you for the Trout, with the scales
on; no better sauce can be made than anchoves sauce: The high
boyling is the best for all fresh-water fish. I have served seven
times seven years to see the experiment.
If you desire to make your
sauce black, if your Carp be alive, you must take your knife and
thrust it about the middle of his belly, then the Carp will bleed;
so take a little vinegar and put it in a saucer, and as the blood
falleth in stir it about untill all the blood is run. If the Carp
be dead, take the cold blood out of the Carp and beat it with your
sauce. This is called black sauce for a Carp.
If there be
any Gentleman that liveth adjoyning to a river side where Trouts
are, I will shew him the way to bring them to feed that he may see
them at his pleasure. And to bring store to the place, gather
great garden-worms, the quantity of a pint or a quart, chop them
in pieces and throw them where you intend to have your pleasure;
with feeding often there is no doubt of their coming, they will
come as sheep to the pen; you must begin to feed with pieces of
worms by hand by one and one, untill you see them feed; then you
may feed with liver and lights, so your pleasure will be
effected.
I have a willing mind
with Gods help to preserve all those that love this recreation, to
goe dry in their boots and shooes, to preserve their healths,
which one receit is worth much more than this book will
cost.
First,
they must take a pint of Linseed oyle, with half a pound of mutton
suet, six or eight ounces of bees wax, and half a pinniworth of
rosin, boyle all this in a pipkin together, so let it coole untill
it be milk warm, then take a little hair brush and lay it on your
new boots; but its best that this stuff be laid on before the
boot-maker makes the boots, then brush them once over after they
come from him; as for old boots you must lay it on when your boots
be dry.
If you want good Tackles of all sorts, you must go to Mr.
Oliver Fletcher at the west end of Pauls, at the sign of
the three Trouts.
If you would have the
best Hooks of all sorts, go to Charles Kirby, who lives in
shooe lane at Harp alley, in Mill-yard.
If you would have a rod
to beare and to sit neatly, you must go to John Hobs
who liveth at the sign of the George behind the Mews by
Charing-crosse.
A
Live and small minow is the best bait
To kill a great Pearch by
Anglers deceit,
A black snaile is the bait for the
bonny Chub,
A Barbell souced is meat very
good.
The
greedy Gudgeon doth Love the Gild taile,
And the twelve yard line doth
never faile,
To kill of good Eees an excellent
dish,
With nooses and baits of the little fish;
At the but of the oak take you the
flye,
And kill the Grayling immediately.
But when of all sorts thou hast thy
wish,
Follow Barkers advice to cook the fish.
Think then of the
gatehouse, for neere it lives he,
Who kindly will teach thee to
make the flye.
And if thou live by a river
side,
Believe thou thy friend who often hath try'd,
And brought store of
fish, as sheep to the pen;
But friend, let me tell thee
once agen,
His art to keep thee both warm and
dry,
Deserveth thy love perpetually.
He names three men to thee, like a
good friend,
Make use of them all, and so I
end.
Noble
Lord,
I
Have found an experience of late, which you may angle with, and
take great store of this kind of fish: first, it is the
best bait for a Trout that I have sen in all my time, and will
take great store, and not faile, if they be there. Secondly, it is
a speciall bait for Dace, or Dare, good for Chub, or Bottlin, or
Grayling. The bait is the roe of a Salmon, or Trout, if it be a
large Trout, that the spawnes be any thing great. You must angle
for the Trout with this bait as you angle with the brandlin,
taking a paire of cisers and cut so much as a large Hasel nut, and
bait your hook, so fall to your sport, there is no doubt of
pleasure. If I had known it it but twenty years agoe I would have
gained a hundred pounds onely with that bait.I am bound in duty to
divulge it to your Honour, and not to carry it to my grave with
me. I do desire that men of quality should have it that delight in
that pleasure: The greedy Angler will murmur at me, but for that I
care not.
For the angling for the
scale-fish they must angle either with cork or quill, plumming
their ground, and with feeding with the same bait, taking them
asunder that they may spread abrod that the fish may feed and come
to your place. there is no doubt of pleasure angling with fine
Tackles, as single haire lines at least five or six lengths long,
a small hook with t[wo] or three spawns, the bait will hold one
week. If you keep it on any longer, you must hang it up to dry a
little: When you go to your pleasure again, put the bait in a
little water, it will come in again.
Sic vale
feliciter.
F I N I
S.
