Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

peacock, twisted together; warp with brown silk. Wing, the light feather of a fieldfare.

Pewet, or Lapwing's Topping. Body, peacock's herl, and that of a lapwing's crown feather, twisted together; warp with red silk. Wing, the red feather of a partridge's tail.

Red Herl. Body, two her's of a peacock, twisted together; warp with ruddy silk. Wing, the red feather of a partridge's tail.

JUNE. The dun, stone-gnat, light bloa, orange brown, peacock hackle, black herl, pewet's topping, and red herl of the last month, go also through this. There are likewise taken the

Whitterish. Body, the root end of the white part of a hare's scut, light gray foal's hair, or camel's hair, towards the tail, the dark part of a hare's scut with some brown hairs mixed; peacock's herl for the head; warp with white silk. Wing, the feather of a sea-mew.

Light Gray. Body, fur of the inner part of a rabbit's leg, the lightest of the dark part of a hare's scut; warp with ash-coloured silk. Wings, light gray mallard's feather.

JULY. The peacock hackle, black herl, pewet's topping, and red herl of May and June, and the whitterish and light gray of the last month, serve also for this. And to those add the

Brown. Body, hair of a very light brown or reddish calf or spaniel, and light bear's hair, mixed; warp with pale orange. Wing, the feather of a land-rail.

AUGUST. The peacock hackle, and the three following flies of May and the two subsequent months, and the brown of the last month, serve also for this: in which also are taken the

Gray Fly. Body, light gray foal's hair mixed with the dark part of a hare's scut; warp with gray silk. Wing, a hen pheasant's feather. Black Ant-fly. Body, darkest part of a hare's scut, and dark brown wool, or sheep's russet, equally mixed, and one single ruddy herl of a peacock, all twisted together; warp with copper-coloured silk. Wing, a fieldfare's feather.

Brown Ant-fly. Body, bright brown bear's hair, much weatherbeaten. Almost of an orange colour towards the tail; and, therefore, a few hairs, of a light brown, or flame-coloured calf or spaniel's hair, to be added in the tail part; warp with orange-coloured silk. Wing, the light feather of a fieldfare or starling.

Note. -The black and the brown ant-fly, I have studied to imitate with other materials, (and have found them succeed very well,) made as follows:

Black Ant. Brown bear's hair, and a little gray squirrel's hair next the roots, peacock herl; warp with copper colour or ash.

Brown Ant. Light barge-sail, seal's fur and brown bear's hair, peacock's herl; warp with orange. Wings of this and the former, starling's feather; longer than the body.

FEBRUARY.

No. IV.

(Referred to from Part II. page 275, note.)

Prime Dun. Dubbing, of the down of a fox-cub, warped with sad ash-coloured silk, Wings, of the feather got from

[ocr errors]

the quill of a shepstare's wing. This fly is made little: but there is another, made of the same dubbing, larger by far.

MARCH. The same flies as are taken in February will be taken in March; and also those hereafter mentioned.

Moorish Brown. Dubbing, of the wool of a black sheep, warped with red silk. Wings, of the feather got from a partridge wing.

Palm Fly. Dubbing, of the hair of a brown spaniel, got on the outside of the ear, and a little sea-green wool mixed; warped with brown cloth-coloured silk. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather.

Green-Tail. Dubbing, of the brown hair of a spaniel, got on the outside of the ear; but a little, in the end of the tail, must be all of sea-green wool, without mixture. Wings, as the last.

APRIL. Bright Bear. Dubbing, of bright bear's hair, warped with sad cloth-coloured silk. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather. Others dub the body with yellow silk, which better.

Yellow Dun. Dubbing, of yellow wool, and ash-coloured fox-cub down mixed together; dubbed with yellow silk. Wings, of the feather of a shepstare's quill. Others dub it with dun bear's hair, and the yellow fur got from a martern's skin, mixed together, and with yellow silk. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather.

Make two other flies, their bodies dubbed as the last; but in the one mingle sanded hog's down, and to the other black hog's down. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather.

And there is also taken an excellent fly, made of dun bear's hair, yellow martern's fur, sanded hog's down, and black hog's down, all mixed in equal proportion together; warped with yellow silk. Wings, of the feather of a shepstare's quill.

These several flies, mentioned for April, are very good, and will be taken all the spring and summer.

MAY. Thorn-fly. Dubbing, of black lambs' wool; warped with black silk. Wings, of a mallard's light gray feather.

Note. That in all instances where mallard's feathers are directed to be used for wings, they must be those of the wild, and not the tame mallard.

Knop Fly. Dubbing, of the down of an otter-cub and the herl of a peacock; warped with black silk. Wings, of the light gray feather of a mallard.

Fern Bud. This fly is got on fern, and the natural one is very good to dib with. It has a short thick body, of a very sad greenish colour, and two pair of wings; the uppermost are hard, and sometimes taken off, but the undermost diaphanous. And it is dubbed with the herl of a peacock, and very sad green silk. Wings, of the feather of a fieldfare's quill got out of the wing.

Little Dun. Dubbing, of an otter's fur; warped with ash-coloured silk. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather.

Yellow May-fly. Dubbing, of yellow wool, mixed with yellow fur of a martern; warped with yellow silk. Wings, of the lightest coloured feather of a throstle.

JUNE. Black Midge, or Gnat. Dubbing, of the down of a mole; warped with black silk. Wings, of a light gray shepstare's quill

feather.

Gray Midge, or Gnat.

Dubbing, of the down of a sad gray cat.

The reader is to note, that shepstare, stare, and starling, are words synonymous: vide Minshca's Dict. voce Stare.

or sad gray camel's hair; warped with gray silk. Wings, of the gray feather of a mallard.

Purple Fly. Dubbing, of purple wool, and a little bear's hair mixed, sometimes no bear's hair at all. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather. Warped with purple silk.

Sand Fly. Dubbing, of the wool gotten off the flank of a black sheep; warped with black silk. Wings, of the sad-coloured feather of a throstle quill. Others make the body of the feather of a heron's neck.

Mackerel. Dubbing, of light brown camel's hair, warped with black silk. Wings, of a red cock's feather.

JULY. Blue Dun. Dubbing, of the down of a water-mouse, and the bluish dun of an old fox, mixed together; warped with sad ashcoloured silk. Wings, of a shepstare's quill feather.

AUGUST. Buss Brown. Dubbing, of the light brown hair of a cur. The head, black. Wings, of the feather of a red hen. Warped with orange-coloured silk.

Hearth Fly. Dubbing, of the wool of an old black sheep; with. some gray hairs in it for the body and head. Wings, of a light shepstare's quill feather; warped on with black silk.

Pismire Fly. Dubbing, of bright brown bear's hair; warped with red silk. Wings, of the saddest coloured shepstare's quill feather. A good fly.

SEPTEMBER. Little Blue Dun. Dubbing, of the down of a mouse, for body and head; warped with sad ash-coloured silk. Wings, of a sad-coloured shepstare's quill feather.

No. V.

(Referred to from Part II. page 288, note.)

TEN YEARS, ONE MONTH, AND FIVE DAYS' ANGLING.

FISH taken in the counties of Carmarthen and Glamorgan, commencing 11th April, 1753, to the 10th April, 1754, inclusive,

Ditto in the counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen, Glamorgan, and Derby, from 11th April, 1754, to 24th October following,

6272

3758

[ocr errors]

1756 Ditto in the counties of York, Salop, and Glamorgan, 1757 Fish taken in the county of Glamorgan,

3739

9272

1758 Ditto in the counties of Glamorgan, Brecon, Radnor, and

[blocks in formation]

1761 Ditto in the same county,

2522

1762 Ditto in the counties of Glamorgan and Carmarthen, 1763 Ditto in the county of Carmarthen,

3183

3158

1764 Ditto in the county of Carmarthen, to 23d July, being my last day's angling in the principality,

1814

The whole given to the public,

47120

The rich, the poor, the sick, and the healthy, have tasted of the labour of my hands.

In the first nine months in the year 1751, I took, in the counties of Pembroke and Carmarthen, above a thousand Trouts: and though I have taken Trouts in every month in the year since, yet I could not, in any one year, reach that number. Perhaps I have done it before 1751; but did not then keep an account all the year round, only noted those days in which I had diversion more than common.

N. B. There were some Pike and Chub, Eel and Flounder taken, which are not noted in the above account.*

No. VI.

Additional Rules and Cautions.

1. WHEN you have hooked a fish, never suffer him to run out with the line; but keep your rod bent, and as near perpendicular as you can; by this method the top plies to every pull he makes, and you prevent the straining of your line for the same reason.

2. Never raise a large fish out of the water by taking the hair to which your hook is fastened, or indeed any part of the line, into your hand; but either put a landing-net under him, or, for want of that, your hat: you may, indeed, in fly-fishing, lay hold of your line to draw a fish to you, but this must be done with caution.

3. Your silk for whipping hooks and other fine work must be very small; use it double, and wax it, and indeed any other kind of binding, with shoemaker's wax, which of all wax is the toughest, and holds best if your wax is too stiff, temper it with tallow.

4. If for strong fishing you use grass, which, when you can get it fine, is to be preferred to gut, remember always to soak it about an hour in water before you use it; this will make it tough, and prevent its kinking.

5. Whenever you begin fishing, wet the ends of the joints of your rod, which, as it makes them swell, will prevent their loosening. And,

6. If you happen with rain or otherwise to wet your rod, so that you cannot pull the joints asunder, turn the ferule a few times round in the flame of a candle, and they will easily separate.

7. Before you fix the loop of bristle to your hook in order to make it fly, to prevent its drawing, be sure to singe the ends of it in the flame of a candle; do the same by the hair to which at any time you whip a hook.

8. Make flies in warm weather only, for, in cold, your waxed silk will not draw.

9. In rainy weather, or when the season for fishing is over, repair whatever damage your tackle has sustained.

*If I had the honour of an acquaintance with this keen and laborious sportsman, I might possibly at times have checked him in the ardour of his pursuit, by reminding him of that excellent maxim, "Ne quid nimis," i, e. "Nothing too much." The pleasure of angling consists not so much in the number of fish we catch, as in the exercise of our art, the gratification of our hopes, and the reward of our skill and ingenuity. Were it possible for an angler to be sure of every cast of his fly, so that for six hours together his hook should never come home without a fish at it, angling would be no more a recreation than the sawing of stone or the pumping of water.

10. Never regard what bunglers and slovens tell you; but believe that neatness in your tackle, and a nice and curious hand in all your work, especially in fly-making, are absolutely necessary.

11. Be ever so provided as to be able to help yourself in all exigencies; nor deem it a small incivility to interrupt your companion in his sport, by frequently calling to him to lend you a plummet or a knife, or to supply you with a hook, a float, a few shot, or any thing else that you ought to be furnished with before you set out for your recreation.

12. Never fish in any water that is not common, without leave of the owner, which is seldom denied to any but those who do not deserve it.

13. If at any time you happen to be overheated with walking, or other exercise, avoid small liquors, especially water, as you would poison, and rather take a glass of rum or brandy; the instantaneous effects whereof, in cooling the body and quenching drought, are amazing.

14. Never be tempted in the pursuit of your recreation to wade, at least not as I have seen some do, to the waist. This indiscreet practice has been known to bring on fevers that have terminated in abscesses, and endangered the loss of a limb.

15. Never, to preserve the character of an expert angler, be guilty of that mean practice of buying fish* of such of your fellow sportsmen as have had better success than yourself; thereby giving occasion for that bitter sarcasm, the more bitter for being true, They were caught with a silver hook."

66

16. Remember that the wit and invention of mankind were bestowed for other purposes than to deceive silly fish; and that however delightful angling may have been made to appear by the foregoing pages, it ceases to be innocent when used otherwise than as a mere recreation. +

17. Lastly, when seated under a shady tree, on the side of a pleasant river, or moving about on the banks of it, thou art otherwise pursuing thy recreation; when the gliding of waters, the singing of birds, the bleating of flocks, the lowing of cattle, and the view of delightful prospects, and the various occupations of rural industry, shall dispose thee to thought and reflection; let the beauties of Nature, the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Almighty, as manifested in the production of his creatures, the order and course of his providence in their preservation, the rewards of a good life, and the certainty of thy end, be the subjects of thy meditation.

There are others to whom this caution against buying fish may be useful. One of the greatest temptations to the fishing with unlawful nets in the Thames, near London, is the high price which by an artifice some of the scaly kinds of fish, that is to say, Roach and Dace, are made to fetch; for the takers of such first scrape off the scales, and sell them by the pound to the necklace-makers, (who make thereof a kind of amalgama, with which they cover wax beads, and thereby imitate pearls ;) and having so done, they ery the smallest and very refuse of the fish about the streets, and sell them to ignorant housekeepers for Gudgeons.

+ Some will be disposed to dispute the correctness of this conclusion. - S.

« ПредишнаНапред »