The School of Recreation by Robert Howlett (best reads of all time txt) 📖

The Eel, takes great Red-worms, Beef, Wasps, Guts of Fowl, or Fish, Menows, or small Roaches are good Bait for Night Hooks; the Hooks being in the Mouth of the Fish. Now because this is very delightful to most, I shall prescribe three ways of taking them, as are most full of Pleasure. The first way is called; Sniggling, or Broggling for Eels, thus: Take a strong Line and Hook baited with a Lob, or Garden-Worm, and observing where Eels lurk in the day time, with a stick forked at the Top, gently put your Bait into the Hole, and if there be any Eels there, you will not fail of a Bite, of as large as can be had, but pull not too hard lest you spoyl all. The second is called Bobbing, which is thus done: Take some large well scoured Lobs, and with a Needle, run some strong twisted Silk through them, from end to end, so many as are enough to wrap about a Board near a dozen times; tye them fast with the two ends of the Silk to hang in so many Hanks; then fasten all to a strong Cord, and a handful above the worms fasten a Plumbet of three quarters of a pound, and your Cord to a strong Pole, and in muddy Waters, you may Fish, and find the Eels tug lustily, and when you think they have swallowed them, draw up your Line, and ashore with them. Lastly the Eel-spear made with four teeth, jagged on both sides, stricken into the Mud, on the bottom of a River, and if you chance to strike where they lye, you infallibly take.

There is likewise an assured way of taking Eels, thus done: Take some Bottles of Hay, mixt with green Osiers of Willows, Bait them with Sheeps-Guts, or other Beasts Garbage, sink them down in the middle, to the bottom of your Pond or by the Bank sides, having fastned a Cord to the Bottles, that you may twitch them up at your pleasure, and all the best Eels will resort to them.

The Flounder, Shad, Thwait, Suant, and Mullet, are taken with Red-Worms of all sorts, Wasps, and Gentles.

For the Grayling, you must head your Hook upon the shank, with a slender and narrow plate of Lead, that the Bait (a large Grass-hopper) may the more easily come over it; and at the point put a Cad-bait, and keep the Bait in continual motion; not forgetting to pull off the Grass-hoppers Wings.

The Gudgeon, takes the smallest Red-Worm, Wasps, Gentles, and Cadbaits. When you Fish for him, stir up the Sand or Gravel with a Pole, which will make them gather thither, and bite more eagerly.

The Guiniad, I shall remit speaking to, only mentioning it in course, being no where found, but in a place called Pemble-Mere, in which place they abound, as the River Dee does with Salmon.

The Pope, or Ruff, is excellent for a young Angler, bites greedily, and quantities may be taken, by Baiting the Ground with fat Earth, and your Hook with small Red-Worms.

The Pike, loveth all sorts of Baits (unless the Fly) Gudgeon, Dace, Roaches and Loaches; and young Frogs in Summer time, of which the yellowest is best.

The Pearch, taketh all sorts of Earth-worms, especially the Lob-worm, and Brandling, well scowred, Bobs, Oak-worms, Dors, Gentles, Cole-wort-worms, Wasps, Cad-baits, and Menow, or a little Frog, the Hook being fastned through the skin of his Leg, towards the upper part of it. Be sure you give the Pearch time enough to pouch his Bait, before you strike.

The Salmon, is taken best with Lob-worms, scented with the Oyl of Ivy Berries, or the Oyl of Polypody, of the Oak mixt with Turpentine: Or the well scowred Garden-worm, is an excellent Bait: The Salmon, bites best in May, June, and July, at three a Clock in the Afternoon, if the Water be clear, a little Wind stirring, especially near the Sea.

The Tench, is a great lover of large Red worms first dipt in Tar. As also all sorts of Paste, made up with strong scented Oyls, or Tar, or a Paste made up of Brown Bread, and Honey. He will bite too at a Cad-worm, Lob-worm, Flag-worm, green Gentle, Cadbait, Marsh-worm, or soft boil'd Bread-grain, &c.

The Torcoth, being before mentioned, I only let you know, that he is only found, in the Pool Linperis in Carnarvon-shire; and leave you to the Welchmens description, both of him and his Bait.

The Trout, is fattest, and in his prime in May, and is caught with all sorts of Worms, especially Brandlings, commonly found in an Old Dung-hill, Cow-dung, Hogs-dung, or Tanners-bark: Also with Flies, Natural and Artificial, with young Frogs, Menow, Marsh, Dock, or Flag-worms; all sorts of Cadbait, Dors, Bobs, Palmers, Gentles, Wasps, Hornets, &c. and with the Caterpillar, used according to the Rule before prescribed for the Grayling. Lastly

The Umber, is taken as the Trout, just now mentioned; And therefore now to your Sport: To assist your well effecting which, I have but this to add; Cast into your Haunts where you use to Fish, once in four or five days, soft boiled Corn (or oftner for Carp, and Tench) Also Garbage, Beasts Livers, chopt Worms, Grains steept in Blood, to attract them to the place; and to keep them together, throw in half a handful of Grains or ground Malt: But in a stream, cast it above your Hook, that floating towards you you may draw the Fish thither.

Sundry curious Baits for Fish.

These grow on the Cuccow pints, or wak-Robin, and are found in dry ditches, overgrown with Brambles; they are about the bigness of Pease, and in July and August, are of a lovely transparent Red, and are excellent baits for Roaches, and Chubs; and for the first, two will serve, but for the latter, you may put four or five at a time on the Hook.

Oat-Cakes with Cheese.

Beat these together into a Paste, the Cheese being new, and stick them together, with a little Honey, letting the Paste Lye all Night in a wet Linnen Cloath, then fit it up in baits, and cover your Hook with it.

To keep Baits for the Pike, or Night-hooks.

For this, take a small Roach, Dace, Loach, Minnow, Smelt, small Trout, or Pearch, cutting off the Finns on the back, or small Eels well scoured in Wheat-Bran, which will keep them better and longer, taking a way the slime and watery substance, that causes them to rot or decay the sooner.

Fishes Eyes.

Take out the Eyes of such Fish as you catch, and put three or four of them on a Hook, and they will prove an excellent bait for most sorts of Fish.

Fat Bacon.

Cut this in little small Long snips, and especially at Snap, it is exceeding good to take a Chub or Pike, from the latter end of August to the beginning of April.

The Pith of the Back-bone of a Sheep.

Take out the Pith that runs through the Back-bone, and take off the Tough outward Skin, and leave the thin tender white Skin on, and bait with about half an Inch of it, and it takes a Chevin to admiration.

Grain, Wheat, Malt.

Bruise either of these finely, fry them in Honey, make them up into Pasts with Oyl of Peter; and either in Winter or Summer they take Chub, Roach, Dace or Bleak.

How to bring Fish, if any in the Pond or River, to the place you desire.

Boyl clean Barly in Water till it bursts, with Licorice, and a little Mummy; add some Honey and beat them together in a Mortar into a stiff Paste, and boyl about the quantity of a Wall-nut of this Paste with a quart of Barly till it grows Glutenous, and then lay it for a ground bait, and the Fish will flock about it from all parts.

To make worms for Baits come out of the Ground.

Boyl an Ounce of Verdigrise in a quart of strong Vinegar, and Sprinkle a little in places where you suspect Worms are, and they will Crawl out of the Ground.

Another approved Bait.

Take the Fat of a Heron, Mummy, and Galbanum; of each two drams, Scent them with a Grain of Musk, and make them up with two Ounces of Aqua-vitæ, stir them over a gentle Fire in an Earthen Vessel till they become thick, and with this rub the Hook, and end of the Line, and the Scent of it will draw the Fish to it; you must also have at the same time a proper Bait on your Hook for such Fish as are in the place you Angle.

The Artificial Cod or Cad Bait.

Make the Body of yellow Bees-wax, and head of black Dubin and black Silk, or you may make the Body of yellow washed Leather, Shamey or Buff, and the head all of black Silk, and this is an Incomparable bait for Trout, Salmon or Smelts, and those that are natural are most Excellent baits for Trout, Grayling, Salmons, Tench, Roach, Chub, Dace, Carp, Tench, Ruff, Bream and Bleak; but then you must Fish with it in clear Water only.

Rules and Considerations about Baits in general.

Fish in general take all such baits freely, as nature at that season affords in or near the places where you Angle, for being used to them they are not afraid of any deceit, but take them as their common food. And for flies in this case, in a Morning or Evening, when you go to Angle beat the bushes about the Rivers or Ponds, and such Flies as you rouse there, Fish with, either Natural, or imitate them by Art; as also see what Worms or other Insects fit for baits stick on the Leaves, Grass, or are in the Water; and in this Observation you cannot miss of good Sport; and when you have struck gently the backway, draw a little, and be not too hasty to take up before the Fish has had her play and spent her strength lest she break your Tackle. If your Fish be large, you must use your Landing Net.

To take Fish in the Night with a Light.

This is an Admirable way to supply you with a sudden Dish, viz. Take a Glass in the form of a Urinal very deep, put as much Clay in the bottom of it as will sink the Mouth of it within an Inch of the Water, floating on pieces of Cork, tied about the Neck to keep it steadily upright, then place a Candle in it, by sticking it in the Clay-socket, anointing the out side of the Glass with Oyl of Asper. This Light will shine a great way in a still Water, so that the Fish being amazed at so unusual a Sight, will come out of their holes about it, and be detained with the scent of the Oyl so long, that with a Hoop-net you may take great store of them.

Flies proper for every Month.

For February, little red brow Palmer flies, the Plain Hackle, the Silver Hackle, the Gold Hackle, the great Dun, the great blew Dun, the dark brown.

For March, the little whirling Dun, the early bright Brown, the whitish Dun, the Thorn-tree fly, the blue Dun, the little black Gnat, the little bright Brown.

For April, the small bright Brown, the little dark brown, the great whirling Dun, the Violet Fly, the yellow Dun, the Horse-flesh-fly.

For May, the Dun-cout, the Green-drake, the Stone-fly, the black May fly, the little yellow May Fly, the Gray-drake, the Camlet fly, the Turkey