The complete angler ; or, Contemplative man's recreation, being a discourse on rivers, fish-ponds, fish, and fishing / In two parts: the first written by Mr. Isaac Walton; the second by Charles Cotton, esq. With the lives of the authors: and notes, historical, critical, supplementary, and explanatory, by Sir John Hawkins, knt.

  • Izaak Walton
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complete angler ; or, Contemplative man's recreation, being a discourse on rivers, fish-ponds, fish, and fishing / In two parts: the first written by Mr. Isaac Walton; the second by Charles Cotton, esq. With the lives of the authors: and notes, historical, critical, supplementary, and explanatory, by Sir John Hawkins, knt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    497/568 (page 451)
    CHAPTER XI. Of AneLiInG-AtT-THE-Bottom for Trout or Grayling —by hand, with a running line—with a@ cork or float. Various baits. VIATOR. SO, Sir, now we are here, and set,—let me have my instructions for Angling, for Trout and Grayling, at- the-bottom; which though not soeasy, so cleanly, nor, as tis said, so genteel a way of fishing as with a fly, is yet, if I mistake not, a good holding way, and takes fish when nothing else will. Pisc.-Ju. You are in the right, it does so: and a worm is so surea bait, at alltimes, that, excepting in a flood, I would I had laid [me] a thousand pounds that I did not kill fish, more or less with it, winter or summer, every day throughout the year; those days always excepted, that upon a more serious account always ought so to be. But not longer to delay you, I will begin: and tell you, that Angling-at-the-bottom is also, commonly, of two sorts; and yet there is a third way of angling with a ground-bait, and to very great effect too, as shall be said hereafter, namely, by hand, or with a cork or float. That we call Angling by hand, is of three sorts. The first, with a line about half the length of the rod, a good weighty plumb, and three hairs next the hook, which we call a running-line; and with one large brandling, or a dew worm of a moderate size—or two small ones of the first, or any other sort proper for’ a Trout, of which my father Watton has already given you the names, and saved me a labour—or indeed, almost any worm whatever; for if a Trout be in the humour to bite, it must besuch a worm as I never yet saw, that he will refuse. And if you fish with two, you are then