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Next；　I　shall　tell　you；　that　though　they　make　very　hard　shift　to　get　out　of　the　fresh　rivers　into　the　sea　yet　they　will　make　harder　shift　to　get　out　of　the　salt　into　the　fresh　rivers；　to　spawn；　or　possess　the　pleasures　that　they　have　formerly　found　in　them：　to　which　end；　they　will　force　themselves　through　floodgates；　or　over　weirs；　or　hedges；　or　stops　in　the　water；　even　to　a　height　beyond　common　belief。　Gesner　speaks　of　such　places　as　are　known　to　be　above　eight　feet　high　above　water。　And　our　Camden　mentions；　in　his　Britannia；　the　like　wonder　to　be　in　Pembrokeshire；　where　the　river　Tivy　falls　into　the　sea；　and　that　the　fall　is　so　downright；　and　so　high；　that　the　people　stand　and　wonder　at　the　strength　and　sleight　by　which　they　see　the　Salmon　use　to　get　out　of　the　sea　into　the　said　river；　and　the　manner　and　height　of　the　place　is　so　notable；　that　it　is　known；　far；　by　the　name　of　the　Salmon…leap。　Concerning　which；　take　this　also　out　of　Michael　Drayton；　my　honest　old　friend；　as　he　tells　it　you；　in　his　Polyolbion：

And　when　the　Salmon　seeks　a　fresher　stream　to　find；　（Which　hither　from　the　sea　comes；　yearly；　by　his　kind；）　As　he　towards　season　grows；　and　stems　the　watry　tract　Where　Tivy；　falling　down；　makes　an　high　cataract；　Forc'd　by　the　rising　rocks　that　there　her　course　oppose；　As　tho'　within　her　bounds　they　meant　her　to　inclose；　Here　when　the　labouring　fish　does　at　the　foot　arrive；　And　finds　that　by　his　strength　he　does　but　vainly　strive；　His　tail　takes　in　his　mouth；　and；　bending　like　a　bow　That's　to　full　compass　drawn；　aloft　himself　doth　throw；　Then　springing　at　his　height；　as　doth　a　little　wand　That　bended　end　to　end；　and　started　from　man's　hand；　Far　off　itself　doth　cast；　so　does　that　Salmon　vault；　And　if；　at　first；　he　fail；　his　second　summersault　He　instantly　essays；　and；　from　his　nimble　ring　Still　yerking；　never　leaves　until　himself　he　fling　Above　the　opposing　stream。

This　Michael　Drayton　tells　you；　of　this　leap　or　summersault　of　the　Salmon。

And；　next；　I　shall　tell　you；　that　it　is　observed　by　Gesner　and　others；　that　there　is　no　better　Salmon　than　in　England；　and　that　though　some　of　our　northern　counties　have　as　fat；　and　as　large；　as　the　river　Thames；　yet　none　are　of　so　excellent　a　taste。

And　as　I　have　told　you　that　Sir　Francis　Bacon　observes；　the　age　of　a　Salmon　exceeds　not　ten　years；　so　let　me　next　tell　you；　that　his　growth　is　very　sudden：　it　is　said　that　after　he　is　got　into　the　sea；　he　becomes；　from　a　Samlet　not　so　big　as　a　Gudgeon；　to　be　a　Salmon；　in　as　short　a　time　as　a　gosling　becomes　to　be　a　goose。　Much　of　this　has　been　observed；　by　tying　a　riband；　or　some　known　tape　or　thread；　in　the　tail　of　some　young　Salmons　which　have　been　taken　in　weirs　as　they　have　swimmed　towards　the　salt　water；　and　then　by　taking　a　part　of　them　again；　with　the　known　mark；　at　the　same　place；　at　their　return　from　the　sea；　which　is　usually　about　six　months　after；　and　the　like　experiment　hath　been　tried　upon　young　swallows；　who　have；　after　six　months'　absence；　been　observed　to　return　to　the　same　chimney；　there　to　make　their　nests　and　habitations　for　the　summer　following；　which　has　inclined　many　to　think；　that　every　Salmon　usually　returns　to　the　same　river　in　which　it　was　bred；　as　young　pigeons　taken　out　of　the　same　dovecote　have　also　been　observed　to　do。

And　you　are　yet　to　observe　further；　that　the　He…salmon　is　usually　bigger　than　the　Spawner；　and　that　he　is　more　kipper；　and　less　able　to　endure　a　winter　in　the　fresh　water　than　the　She　is：　yet　she　is；　at　that　time　of　looking　less　kipper　and　better；　as　watry；　and　as　bad　meat。

And　yet　you　are　to　observe；　that　as　there　is　no　general　rule　without　an　exception；　so　there　are　some　few　rivers　in　this　nation　that　have　Trouts　and　Salmon　in　season　in　winter；　as　'tis　certain　there　be　in　the　river　Wye　in　Monmouthshire；　where　they　be　in　season；　as　Camden　observes；　from　September　till　April。　But；　my　scholar；　the　observation　of　this　and　many　other　things　I　must　in　manners　omit；　because　they　will　prove　too　large　for　our　narrow　compass　of　time；　and；　therefore；　T　shall　next　fall　upon　my　directions　how　to　fish　for　this　Salmon。

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