in this Realm of this graine viij bushels There is counted two fiftie thousande parishes so then there is two and fiftie quarters of graine destroyed yearely by Crowes and such like besides a number of other pultrie about mens houses deuoured by Crowes and Kytes and chiefely it is thought thorough the negligence of slouthfull husbandes which yearely toyles and labours to sowe corne and regardes not after the sauing of the same or yet to wage or giue to other according to the statute that would in winter and other times be glad to take paine to take destroy them Thus I haue declared touching the destruction of corne by crows and such like and the profite and gaine that would come thereby in vsing the saide nettes in each parish thorough the Realme which nets may well be vsed all the winter and also from March till Midsommer or somewhat after Ye may also baite your shrape with flesh or some carrion and so ye may take Kytes flesh Crowes Rauens and such like when ye sée cause The laying your nette is easle but to make him cast well is all in the setting the tayle pinne and placing the pully stake in drawing your vpper line Also in Iuly and August ye may well vse the lime bush and the call for Sparrowes A baite to kill Rattes and Mice TAke of Argentum sublimatum of regall and of Arsenicke of each a dram with twentie figges of the fattest one ounce of hasell nuts rleane pilde and beaten twelue walnuts pild and halfe a pound of wheaten meale also a pound and two ounees of hogges grease with a little hony beaten and kneaded with the foresaide simples First beat all into fine pouders and then mire them all together so done then make them into little pellets and lay them in your house where ye shall thinke good for the Rattes to receiue and set water by them Taken out of Dutch Or you may take swéete creame mixt with sugar and laid in shelts and strowe the fine pouder of Arsenicke thereon Another compound for Rattes TAke swéeté creame and mixe it well with sugar then take the crummes of white bread with small péeces and put therein and make it somewhat thicke Then make it séeth and stirre it still till it be as thicke as pappe then take it off the fire and put therein of scraped chéese and stirre it all well together so doue take the fine pouder of regall and pouder of Arsenicke and put it therein and stirre it well all together so ye may lay it on shelts or tyle stones where ye shall thinke best yet some herein will but strow the saide pouders thereon when they haue layde it and it will serue so very well or make the herbe Pedelion in pouder and lay it on your meate which herbe is the field clof An other way for the same TAke of faire colde water and mixe it with fine wheate flower and then worke it well all together sée there be no lumpes of flowar vnbroken then boyle it softly and stirre it alwayes for burning and when it waxeth thicke put in sugar then take it from the fire and mixe it with a little clarified hony and being thicke like pappe put therein as much as ye shall sée good of the fine pouder of Arsenicke and then beate and stirre it all well together and so when it is colde ye may lay it where ye shall thinke good A baite for Mice TAke swéete butter otmeale and the pappe of a roasted apple with a quantitie of wheate flower and sugar Then worke these all together and put therein of the pouder of Argentum sublimatum so worke it well together like a paste and so make it into small pellots and laye it where ye thinke good Another to kill Mice â— Dioscorides TAke the pouder of white Elleborie otherwise called néesing pouder and mixe it with barley meale Then put to honny and make a paste thereof then bake it or séeth it or frie it and it will kill those Mice that eates therof An other for Mice TAke of barley meale a quantitie and mixe therewith clarified hony then put thereto a quantitie of the pouder finely beaten of Antimoneum which is like vnto red glasse also put therein a littel clarified shéepes suet then beate and worke them all together and make it in paste and vse it as the other afore rehearsed ye may put of sugar therein if ye list and here is to be noted that when yée shall lay these baytes aforesayde in your houses yee must then kéepe all other things from your Rattes and Mice or else ye shall not haue your purpose of them sulfilled which may be layde for Pies and Crowes An other for Rats Mice Woolfes or Foxes TAke the roote of an herbe called in Latine Aconiâ—um in English Wolfes bane and make it into a fine powder then stowe of that powder on flesh or other thing what ye will and it shall kill them soone after they haue taken it To take Rauens Pyes and Crowes YE shall take of Nux vomica so called which ye shall buy at the Apothecaries they are gathered in the sea and are as broad as a péece of foure pence and a quarter of an inch thicke or more Those which are the whitest within are counted for the best when ye will ocupie any doe grate or cut one small in thinne slices then beate it into powder if ye can the finer it is the better and the sooner will make the Crowes or Pyes to fall Put of the sayde powder into a péece of flesh and so lay it abroad and yée shall soone sée Pie or Crowe or Rauen take it Then must ye watch hun a while after and ye shall perceiue him to fall downe then must ye follow to take him But if yée let him remaine one quarter of an houre he will recouer againe for this nux vomica it doth but make them drunk and dyzie for a time The Kyte I haue not séene taken for he will cast it vp againe The spring net for Buzard or other kind of foule THis spring net or hoope net is to take the Buzarde on the plaine or to take Crowes Pyes or other small birdes with their naturall baites as the worme for the Blackbird the Nytingale it may be made with a hoope of wood or of yrne or stéele wyar ye must bring the endes together fortie as ye shall thinke good Then lap those ends with horse haire or packthâ—éed so oft about the ends as ye sée good then put a piune of yrne or of wood betwéene the saide haire or line Then turne twist the haire as ye do for a mouce trappe so stiffe as ye shall sée cause so knocke that yrne pin into the ground where ye will set your net Then take a small string that must be tide in the midst of the hoope which string must haue a knot at the end so put it vnder the wreath of haire and thorow a hole in a pinne of wood set in the ground before the yrne pin and let the knot of the same string rest in the sayd hole Then fill the said hole with an other short pinne of wood made blunt putting it slight into the hole to stay the knot of the string that kéepes downe the net and on that short pinne make a hole or slit put a thorne with a baite theron and when any thing do touch the baite the short pinne will soone fall and the string slips through the hole and so the net turnes suddenly vpon the fowle Thus much for ordering this kinde of net The proch hooke without out the rodde a a The hole to tie the string of the bridge b b The clicket c c The lidde d d The hole to tye the string e e The hole to put through the string on the side f f The pin for the string g g The hole to carrie it by a a The lidde b b The hole to tic the string c c The hole to carry it
the feathers of the winges of the drake with the feathers of the red capons taile or hakell The yellow Fly 5 The yellow Fly in May is good the body made of yellow wooll and the winges made of the redde cockes hackell or taile and of the drake littid or coulered yellow The blacke Fly 6 The blacke Fly or lowper in May the body is made of blacke wooll and lapt about with the herle of the peacockes taile the winges are made of the winges of a browne capon with his blew feathers in the head The sad yellow Fly 7 The sad yellow Fly in Iune the body is made of blacke wooll with a yellow liste of either side the wings taken of the winges of the bozard bound with blacke bracked hempe The More Fly 8 The moorerish Fly is also good made with the body of duskish wooll and the winges made of the blackishe male of the drake The tawny Fly 9 The tawny Fly is good at Sainct Willams day or vnto midde Iune the body is made of tawny wooll and the winges made contrary one against the other made of the whitishe maile of the wilde drake The waspe Fly 10 The waspe Fly in Iuly the body is made of black wooll and lapped about with yellowe thréede the wings are made of the feathers of the bozard The shell Fly 11 The shell Fly is good at Saint Thomas day or midde Iuly the body is made of gréene wooll and lapped about with the herell of the peacocks taile and the winges made of the winges of a bozard The darke or drake Fly 12. The darke drake Fly in August is good the body is made of blacke wooll and lapped about with blacke silke his winges are made of the maile of the black drake with a blacke head Thus are they made vpon the hooke lapt about with some corke like each Fly afore mentioned Here followeth how to couller your lines to angle with NOw to learne how to couler your lines of heare according to the couler of each water and season in this wise first yée shall take the haire of a white horse taile the longest and strongest yée can get the rounder haire the better it is Then yée shall deuide it sixe partes and yée shall couler each part by him selfe as yellow gréene brown tawny russet and the duske couler And to make a good gréene take a quart of small ale and put it into a panne and put thereto halfe a pound of Alum and so put therein your haire and let it boile softly halfe a hower then take forth the haire and let it drie Then take a pottel of water and put it in a panne and put therein too hand full of Mary golds or of wixen and then pressè it with a tile stone and so let it boile softly halfe an hower and when the scum is yellow then put in your haire with halfe a pounde of coperes beaten into fine pouder and so let it boile the space of halfe a mile way then take it downe and let it kéele the space of fiue or sixe howers and so take forth your hair and drie it which wil be the finest gréene for the water also the more of coperas yée doe put in it the gréener it wil be or ye may put in steed of it of verdigrece Another kinde to make another gréene as thus ye shal put your haire vnto a wood fatte of plunket couler and it wil be a light couler and to make it plunket couler then ye shall séeth it in goldes or wixen like as I haue aforesaide vnto this couler ye shall not put coperas nor verdegrece for it will doe better without To make yellow haire FOr to make yellowe haire ye shall séeth it with alum as I haue afore shewed and after that with goldes or wixen without coperas or verdegrece Also another yellow ye shall make thus Take a pottell of small ale and stampe there in thrée handfull of gréene walenut leaues so put them together and lay your haire therein so long till yée haue it so déepe couler as you desire To make a russet FOr to make your haire russet yee shall take a pinte of strong lie and halfe a pound of soote with a little of the iuice of walnut leaues and a quantitie of alum then boile them well altogether in a panne then take it off and when it is colde put therein your haire and so let it lie till it be a darke couler so as ye will haue it To make a browne couler FOr to make your browue couler ye shall take a pound of soote and séeth it in a quart of ale and with so many of walnut leaues as ye shall thinke good and when they shall waxe blacke take it off the fire and put therein your haire and so let it lie still therein till it be as browne as yée will haue it Also another browne couler take of strong ale and soote and temper them altogether and therein put your haire and let it remaine so the space of two daies and two nights and it wil be well To make a tawny haire FOr to make your haire a tawny couler ye shall take a quantity of lime with the like of water and so put them together and put your haire therein and let it rest foure or fiue howers then take it out and put it in tannars ouse for a day and it wil be well Also ye shall kéepe the first part of your haire white stil for your lines to be reserued for the dubbid hooke to fish for the troute and grailing and also to make small lines to angle for the roche and the darce and such Lines fit for each water HEre ye shall know in what water to angle for which season of the yeare your coulered lines will best serue The gréene colered line will serue in all cleere waters from Aprill vnto September The yellow line is good to angle in euery water which is cleare frō September vnto Nouember for it wil be like the wéedes other withered grasse which is in the water The russet line is best to angle withall in winter and serueth best all the winter vnto the end of Aprill as well in riuers as standing pooles The browne coulered line to angle withall serueth for any water that is blacke or of dedish couler be it in riuers or standing waters Anglers and fishers THe tawny coulered line to angle withal serueth best for those waters that are heathy or moorish couler Thus much for your lines and cullers practised according to the couler of waters wishing that all anglers would not angle in vnseasonable times as from midde March to mid May for then is the chiefest spawning time and increase of fishe A great number there is in this realm which gouerns waters that spares no time to kill nor cares for no time to saue but takes at all times which maketh freshe fishe so deare and so scant in riuers and runiung
riuers and running waters are at more libertie then those which are closed in pondes and pits for those in running waters the water bringeth to them alwaies some what to féede on and there also the small fish doe nourish the great but the fish inclosed can get no such thing Therefore it shal be good to cast vnto them of small fish and of guts and garbage of fish and of beasts and figges cut small and nut curnels broosed or broosed wheate wormes graines of bruinges white bread all sortes of salt fishes cut and hackt in small péeces and such like If your fish nourish and fat not with these ye must féede them with the frettes or gubbins of market fish of the fishmongers if yet they be leane it shewes plaine they were taken from the seas which fish are raueners or they haue come from riuers nigh the seas but the fish in pondes are restraint from those liberties Therefore continually they must be fedde Of the taking of fish diuerse wayes THere is diuerse maner of wayes in taking fish in some places according to the Countrie and the nature of great waters is one and of riuers and pooles is an other where they inhabite so likewise is the diuersitie of the fish Also in fishing some manner of fishing is in the Seas an other manner is in swéete waters an other maner for great fish an other maner for yéeles other wayes for Roches and small fish an other way for the Carpe and such like Now séeing there is so many diuersities in taking fish it willl be hard to expresse and long to write Wherefore here I leaue that knowledge to those that vse to fish and sell in markets In speaking here in generall of the commodities for the father and his famelie in taking of fish for the common wealth whereof the principall maner is with nets weiles lines and hookes Thus I haue shewed of replenishing your pondes to haue plentie of fish and clensing your pondes from wéedes and a care for your emtie pondes and how to maintaine your pits and stues with fish Also to nourish the fish in your standing waters and declaring of diuers waies in taking of fish Thus much taken of Stephanus in French Pour Amorcer or gather Tortues TAke Salarmoniacke eight drams of Scalion Onions one dram the fat of veale ten drams So beate them together and being made in pellets like beanes cast them by their haunt to the Tortues and they will come themselues to the smell thereof and so ye may take them To make it drie TAke the lées of strong wine mixt with oyle and put it in a place where ye know it will drie let it so remaine till it waxe blacke and they will come to the place where the oile shall be put and so ye may take them Ye may take also Salarmoniack thirtéene drams and the butter of goates milke eight drams beate altogether and make small soft pellets thereof and therewith rubbe what graine or small lynséede not broken but dride and they will féede there all about and will not depart and straite way ye may so take them To take Loches or small fish TAke the branne of wheate meale two pound of lenten pease halfe a pound mixe them together and beate them with a sufficient quantitie of brine and put thereto halfe a pound of sessame Then shall ye part it in péeces and throw them here and there for as soone as ye haue thrown it in the water all the small fish will come vnto it and remaine in one place although they be 300. paces off Also ye may take the bloud of an Oxe Goate Shéepe or of a Hogge with the dung that is in the small guts of them Also of time peniryall léekes sauerie margerum garlick with the lées of good wine of each in like with the grease or marow of the saide beastes so much as ye séeme good beate them a part and then mixe them a like together and so make small pellets thereof and cast it where ye will haue the fish to come an houre before ye cast in your lines or else take the bloud of a blacke Goate the lées of good wine of barley meale all in like portion beate them all together with the lites of a Goate and then cut them in small péeces and make pellets thereof and so vse them as aboue sayde Another way TAke halfe a pound of garlick of burnt sessame as much of pouliot of organie of time great margerum of sauerie of wild stauisacre of ech two and thirtie drams of barley meale one pound of wheate as much and of the barke of a Frankinsence trée thirtéen drams worke all together with branne and cast it to the fish and they will assemble thereabout To take Perch THe Perch is not so easily taken with hooke nets or bownet but rather with proper baites made and vsed in a troubled water therefore ye must make baites with the liuer of a Goate and the snaile or take the yellow butter flie which flyeth of Goates whay called fromage de cheureau of each foure drams opopauicis two drams hogges bloud foure drams galbony foure drams beate all well together and sprincle it all ouer with pure wine and make thereof small pellets or as ye make perfumes and drie them in the shade To take the Samon as well in the Riuer as in the Sea TAke eight drams of Cockes stones and the curnels of pine apple trée burnt sixtéene drams beate all together a like till it be in maner of a meale Another Take the séedes of wilde Rue eight drams the fat of a veale eyght drams of Sessame thirtéene drams beate all together and make small loaues thereof and vse them as the other before mentioned Thus much more taken from Stephanus in French To take much fish by a light in the night YE shall distill in a lembeck of glasse a quantitie of glowormes that shineth in the night with a soft fire and put the distilled water into a thin viall of glasse and thereunto put foure ounces of quicksiluer that must be purged or past thorough leather or Kidde skinne Then stoppe the glasse that no water enter and tie it in the midst of your bow net for breaking and so cast it in the water and the fish will soone come vnto the light and couet to enter into the net and so ye shall take many And some doth suppose if ye doe but take a certaine of those glo-wormes and put them in a thinne viole or glasse and then stoppe it close and tie it in the net they will shine as well and giue as much light But then I doubt they will not long be aliue without meate except ye put herbes vnto them in the day and let them féede and vse them in the night as before So yée may reserue them for your purpose I thinke a long time To take Yeeles in the winter in haye or strawe bottles YE shall make long fagots of hay wrapt about
doe thus Take a codling hooke well armed with wyer then take a small Roch or Gogin or else a Frogge a liue or a fresh Hearing and put through your armed wyer with your hooke on the end and let your hooke rest in the mouth of your bayte and out at the tayle thereof and downe by the ridge or side of the fresh Hearing and then put your line thereto and drawe it vp and downe the water or poole and if he see it hee will take it in haste let him go with it a while and then strike and holde and so tyre him in the water Seene doe put the hooke in at the checke of the bayte and foorth at the tayle but when ye will lay your lyne then must ye put a plummet of leade vpon your line a yarde from your hooke and a flote in the middest betwéene the leade and your bayte that it sinke not to the bottome for then the yéeles will eat your baite away Ye may lay in your baites without flots and often ye may speede of pykes and if you will sée a good sport in a pond where as there is store of Pykes you shall put in a Goose and put a frogge a liue on a hooke and tye it with a strong pockthreed to the Goose foote a yeard long or more and in short space ye shall see good snatching and tugging betwéene the Pyke and the goose An other maner in taking the Pyke there is ye shall take a liue Frogge put him on your hooke at the necke betwéene the skinne and the bodie on the backe part and put a flote as is aforesaide then cast it in a riuer or pound where ye thinke the Pyke haunteth and ye shall soone take him and the best laying or angling for him is towardes night Also another maner is to take him take the same baite aforesaide and put it into a safetida and then cast it in the water with a long line and a hooke ye shall not fayle of him soone after An other baite for him Take Boares grease a safetida neppe so boile altogether then take a Roch or other small fish and drie it in your bosome and take and annoint him with the foresaide oyntment and then put him on your hooke and cast it into the water and you shall spéede also some doe vse to dragge for the Pyke with a bleke Roch or Gogin in drawing it vp and downeithe water sometimes aboue and sometimes beneath for so he will soonest come if he see it and some anglers do put the hooke in at his gill and out at his mouth and so drawes the bayte as though he did flie from the Pyke which is taken for the better way to make him more eger to take it The Loch and the Millers thumbe THe Loch and the cull or Millers thumbe they are good and wholsome fish they feede at the bottome and lye most part in weedes rootes and holes in bankes and to angle for them ye must lay to the bottome they do seldome byte at an hooke but the red worme is their chiefest bayte that I do knowe for them for their foode is commonly at the bottome in sucking such as lies on the bottome of the water The manner of feeding and preseruing your quicke baites NOw I will tell you how you shall féepe and kéede your quicke baites which is you shal féede and kéepe them al in general but euery maner by himself with such things as they breede in and vppon and so long they be quick and newe so long they are fine and good but when they bee once dead they are then nothing worth out of these be excepted thrée broodes or kindes that is to wéete of hornets humble bées and waspes which ye shall bake them after the bread is drawen out of he ouen and then dippe their heads in blood and let them so dry and also for the magots when they be bred and waxe great with their natural féeding yée shall continue and feede them surthermore with sheepes tallowe and with a cake made of flower and hony which will cause them to be more greater and when yée haue cleansed them in a blanket bagge with sand kéepe it hotte vnder your gowne or other warme thing two howers or three then they wil be best to your purpose and ready for to angle with and for the frog when yee angle with him yee must cutte off his legges by the knées and also the grasse-hopper his legges and winges by the body all other made baites I will here let passe but vse them as yee thinke good Baites to last all the yeare HEre I will speake of certaine baites to last al the yeere The first is made of beane flower and leane fleshe of the hippes of a cony or of a catte with virgin waxe and shéepes tallow so beate them in a morter and then temper them at the fire with a litle clarified hony and so make it vppe in small balles and therewith yée may baite your hooke according to the quantity and this is a good baite for all manner of fishe that vseth the freshe waters Another Take the suet of a shéepe and chéese of each like quantity and bray them together long in a morter then take flowre and temper it therewith and then delay it with hony and so make balles thereof and this is a special baite fo the barbell also Baites for fiâ—eat fishe THe baites for great fishe yée shall kéepe in minde this rule that is whensouer yée doe take a great fishe yee shall open the maw of him and looke what yee finde therein make that your baite for that time for that is alwaies best and most surest There is many other making of baites but for lacke of knowledge therein I wil here passe them ouer and some not so needefull as necessary as these aforesaide Of twelue kindes of made Flies to angle for the trout in Sommer with other fishe THere hath beene vsed twelue maner of flyes made and sette vnto the hookes to angle withall on the top of the water the which Flies are to angle for the grailing and darce and chiefest for the troute and also for the chub like as now ye shall here me tell and declare each by him selfe the counterfeiting of them First for the dunne Fly 1 The dun Fly in March the body is made of dunne woolle and the winges of the partridge feathers 2 Also there is another dunne Fly made the body of blacke wooll and the winges is made of the blacke drakes feathers and of the feathers vnder the winges of his taile The stone Fly 3 The stone Fly in Aprill the body is made of black wooll made yellow vnder the winges and vnder the tayl and so made with the wings of the drake The ruddy Fly 4 The ruddy Fly in the beginning of May is a good Fly to angle with aloft on the water the body is made of redde wooll lapt about with blacke silke and
waters There is so many tillars but â—ew that seekes to saue and preserue them they will not suffer the fishe so long as the time to spawne but troubles the waters with nets and weles both night and day and many Gentlemen lets their waters as it should appeare without any exception of tunes in the spring for they make all times alike not so much as sparing the spawning time as March Aprill and May. Thus much touching anglers and all other fishermen for these thrée moneths aforesaid which I will speak more hereof in their places To order the red worme VVHen ye gather them put them into a boxe or bag with wet mosse vnder and aboue they wil store therein then take and put them in parcely fenell margeram if ye change them ech night put them in new dung or earth yee may so kéepe them good to angle sixe wéekes Here followeth how to make your hookes IF yée make your hookes of wier it is the easier to cut the bord with a hard stéele knife and bend it when ye haue made the barbe and the point with a paire of plyars or with an instrument with a bowed wier in the end and when ye haue bowed him cut the shanke of what length ye thinke good then batter him at the end and smooth it with your file and it done then heate him red in the fire and quenche him in colde water and it wil be hard againe if it be a stéele néedle ye must holde Ãt in the fire till it be red hot or ouer a candel and then let it coole of himselfe and so it wil be soft as wier and to haue the knowledge of this instruments and also how much your hookes and lines shal be for euerie fish here may ye see the figures of your instruments and hookes pike hooke the proch NOw when ye haue made thus your hookes of al sorts then must yee set them to your lines according in greatnes and strength for euery fishe in this wise Ye shall take small red silke for a great hooke double but twiste it not and for small hookes let it be single and therewith fret your hookes in doubling your lines end and your silke or haire on the inside of your double line then fret or whippe it so faire as yée shall sée good then next your hooke at the bought put throw your silke or haire in going round about the hooke thrée tunes then plucke first your silke or haire hard downe and then your line so cut it off harde by the end of your hooke in setting your line on the inside of your hooke and so it is done Now must yee know your hookes how to angle for euerie kinde of fishe I Will tell you with how many sufficient haires yee shall angle for euery kinde of fishe For the Meno with a line of one haire for the small or wexing roche the bleke the gagin and the ruffe with a line of two haires for the darce and the great roche with a line of three haire for the perche the flounder and the small breme with a line of foure haires for the cheuin chubbe the breme the tenche and the yée le with a line of sixe haires for the troute the grailing the barbyll and the great cheuin with a line of nine haires for the great troute with twelue haires for the sawmon with a line of fiftéene haires and for the pike a chalke line and browne it with your browne couler aforesaid and armed with a wier as hereafter shal be séene when I speake of the pike To know how to plumbe your line YOur lines must be plumbed with leade finely thin beate and lapt close about your line next your hooke and the next leade to your hooke must be from your hooke a foote long or else somewhat more and euerie plummet ought to be of the quantitie according to his line in bignes There be thrée maner of plummets and plumbings which is for a groundline lying and another for a groundline running and the third line is the flote line set vpon the ground line lying with ten plummets ioyning altogether running vpon the ground with xx or tenne small plummets and for the flote or corke line leade or plumbe him so heauie that the least plucke of any fish may plucke it downe and make the leades or plummets sincke for them make them round and smooth small and close to the line at both endes that they fasten not on wéedes in the water which will be a let to your angling and for the more vnderstanding how they vse them here shall be the figures There is also a line without corke to fish with which they vse in some places in sommer to angle for the Darce the Blcke and the Trowt which they vse to cast his line into the water and still to drawe the line so that he may alwayes haue a sight thereof and neuer let the hooke and bayte sincke to the bottome of the water out of sight but alwaies casting and drawing or moouing the bayte and kéeping it tight that as soone as the fish doe bite he giueth a tutch and so kéepes his line tight lets the fish tyre her selfe on the hooke and then takes her vp gently this is the chiefest way to haue both line hooke fish for in snatching and striking hard when the fish bites you put your line in daunger or tearing the mouth of the fish and sometimes so loose him There is also an other kinde of angling for the Pyke which is calde dragging your hooke beeing armed with wyer for shéering when you would dragge for the Pyke you shall take a small Roch or a Gogin and with a néedle of wood made thinne and flatte put it in at the gille betwixt the skinne and the bodie of the Roch and so foorth at the taile and drawe your armed wiar and hooke after and place your hooke close vnder his gill and so dragge for him as ye doe for the Darce If it bee with a single hooke you shall put in your armed wiar at the mouth of the Roch or Gogin and it will serue well enough as ye may here sée by figure there is to drag with a liue Frogge and tie the double hooke vnder his necke and hippes Ye may if ye lust place your double hooke at the mouth of your fish as is declared of the single hooke but then must you haue the bigger bayte that the double hooke may lye or ioine close to the head of the baite and then it will doe well There is another kinde of hooke calde a proching hooke which is made without a barke this kinde or manner of hookes are to put in a hole in the banke or betwixt two bordes at a bridge or water or betwixt two stones where they lie open for there commonly lieth the great Yeles and there put in your proch hooke a little way and if there bee any yéeles they will take it anon
the bayte in his féete and the other takes it in their billes Thus much here for the taking of the Sea-pie Here shall follow the knowledge how to replenish your fish pondes FOr to saue and maintaine in mayers pooles and standing waters for such as haue not riuers it shall be good to saue kéepe and maintaine all such fish as may be nourished and bred in fresh waters as Pyke Breame Tench Prch Troute Darce Roch such like and the Carpe for one of the best which hath not béene here in Englande but of fewe yeares past The Trout will not like but in running and swift waters and hard grauell at the bottom The slymie fish is the Tench the Seacod and the Yée le and yet they are coÌ„mended for a good féeding meat for man but many will disdaine the fresh yée le and estéeme it as a flaggie and slymie meate saying he will gender with the water snake which thing possible may be but the yée le of the fresh riuer is tryed a good and holsome meate you shall haue also the Lampre and the Lamporne which are called venemous fish of the Sea but when they haue scraped and clensed them in the fresh running waters Notwithstanding they are then good and holesome meat The excrements of standing pooles are frogges which in many places being well drest they eate like fish and is calde a kinde of fish and doe taste as well as a young poullet for I tasted my part of many It is a good thing to haue plentie of fresh water fish in riuers and pooles and standing waters and a great pleasure for man sometimes to take with his angle a dish of fish in those waters whereas fish is plentie and well preserued not to vse any other engins but with the hooke and by such meanes as the lawes of this realme doth permit and allow not to vse fire handguns crossebowes oyles ointments pouders and pellets made to cast in the waters to stonny and poyson the fish nor yet to vse all sortes of nets and such as are deuourers of fish as bow nets casting nets small trammels shoue nets and draught nets which are destroyers of fish before they are growen to any bignesse These are not méete to be vsed but of certaine Gentlemen in their seuerall waters I would wish no running waters should be let to any fisher man without order what mesh what nets he or they shall vse to fish with and in what moneths of the yeare to refraine fishing vpon paine to forfaite his lease and all such engins Also it shall be good for all Gentlemen and others hauing the gouernment of any riuers brookes or standing pooles to replenish them with all such kinde of fish as may there be preserued or bred aswell of straying as others There is a kinde of fish in Holand in the fennes besides Peterborrow which they call a poult they be like in making and greatnesse to the Whiting but of the cullour of the Loch they come foorth of the fenne brookes into the riuers nigh there about as in Wansworth riuer there are many of them They stirre not all the sommer but in winter when it is most coldest weather There they are taken at Milles in Welles and at wayers likewise They are a pleasant meate and some do thinke they would be aswell in other riuers running waters as Huntington Ware and such like if those waters were replenished with them as they may be with small charge They haue such plentie in the fenne brookes they féede their hogges with them If other riuers were stored with them it would be good for a common wealth as the Carpe wich came of late yeares into England Thus much for the fenne pult Of clensing your pondes from weedes IF you will haue profite of your fish in your pondes and pooles ye must haue a care alwayes to clense them from thrée yeare to thrée yeare in taking away all wéedes rushes and flagges for they doe greatly stuffe and trouble the fish and makes them to be more slymie and of a worser taste Likewise ye must sée alwayes for Otters and Water-rats haunting your pondes and pooles yee shall best know if there be any in the night season for then they hunt abroad for fish then séeke to take them by such means as afore mentioned which else they will soone destroy all your fish Also it is not good to suffer any to shute with guns nie your ponds or riuers for it feares and astonish the fish greatly and worst of all in spawning tune and many will die â—â—ereof ye may watch the haunt of the Otter and Ratte and strike them if yee can with the trowte speare which is a very good thing to kill them if it be well done for so many haue béene kilde Here shall be shewed a care of lauing your pondes in sauing the water where it is scant for to saue your fish aliue IN lauing your pondes and pooles the greatest care is if there be any scant of water to kéepe and bestow it so that the water which is cast foorth may remaine nie the sides of your pondes and pooles that ye may recouer it soone againe to saue the rest of your fish while ye clense forth the wéedes and mudde which will let the water to come quickly to the scoopes Therefore it shall be best to clense the sides and bankes first of all in hauing all such tooles readie as shall be néedefull thereunto as mattockes spades shoules scauelts scoopes and such like to dispatch it as quickly as ye can And when the water is lower then the Rat-hole in the bankes ye may set such engins afore their holes to kill them at their comming out as aforesaide for they will lye alwaies in the holes aboue the water to smother them in their holes ye shall hardly doe if ye then let them scape they will soone conuay them selues away in the night or before night and will runne very swift Thus much for lauing your pondes There is also a care alwayes to maintaine your pits and stuis with fish HOw your pits and stuis should bee vsed to kéepe fish in your stues and pits ought to bee oft renued and helpt with great and small fish from time to time and refreshed often with small fish among for if ye doe alwaies take and none put to your store shall soone decrease It shall be good also to put carefully your fish therein both small and great and sée that none be hurt if ye may to put 〈◊〉 Tench with them it shall do well And it shall be very good husbandrie to pricke and set about the handes of willow sallo or alder which will be good to defend the heate in sommer from your fish and to auoide the colde in winter but the falling of leaues will increase mudde greatly and also stinch your pondes How to nourish your fish in pooles mayers and standing waters IT is most certaine the fish which is in
make them in length as ye shall sée cause for the bredth of your bordes or plankes which must be somewhat heauie alwayes A Mill to take Mice THis engine or Mill is made of ij thin bords and thicker in the midst then at the ends The one halfe of the bredth is set in ioyned within the other halfe and boared with a percer thorough the midst and there is put thorow a great wyar or a smal pinne of wood as yée may sée and that pinne is put into a thicke bord of four inch bord which borde lyeth on some table or other borde from the ground halfe a yeard or as yée shall thinke good and set some panne or pot with water vnder your mill and baite your mill on both sides of each leafe with some butter mixt with otmele and sugar and set all other things away and so shall ye drowne thréescore or more perhaps in a night as I haue séene done if there be store Ye shall make your mill to turne very easely that the least weight thereon shall turne it Also set your Mill an inch from your square borde that the pinne is in and baite your borde with some otmeale to tice them to the mill Thus may yée soone destroy them if your house bée troubled with them neuer so much The square mouce trappe The mouce trap with a dish a filboll THis engine or square mouce trappe is made of two bordes with a hole boared thorough them both at the lower end and a pinne set set fast in the hole of the neather borde and comes thorow the vpper borde which vpper borde riseth and falleth thereon Then is there a string tide at the sayde pinne with a long bridge and a pinne on the vpper bord afore with a short string and a clicket tide thervnto to stay vp the vpper borde and so it is done This is a slight way and soone made for mice The other trappe is with a dish or bowle tylde vp with a silboll such as they make to fill puddings which is made with a thinne stice of wood or such like with a tayle of thrée inches long and thereon is the baite tyed The filboule his bowght is commonly one inch and more hie to holde vppe the dish that the mouce touch not the dish before she come to the baite Then when she stirs the baite the dish fals ouer the filboll and the filboll within and the mouse also Then ye may set a vessell of water and let the mouse fall therein And thus it is vsed and also quickly made To take the Buzard with three twigs limed THis engine is to take the Buzard in the spring of the yeare as in March and Aprill which is made thus with thrée small roddes growing on the end of some bough or thrée small twigs set on the end of a pretie bigge sticke and of a shastment long Ye must so place them that two twigges must lie alwayes on the ground and the other stand or lie ouer The sticke must haue a hole board in the end as ye may sée and therein to fasten the mouse taile or a thréede with a liue mouse tide vnto it Also the twigs must be finely layde with lyme and in a morning layde on the ground whereas ye shall sée any Buzard nie and as soone as ye are departed if she spie the mouse ye shall sée her come vnto it and so taken which is a verie good way to take them in the spring but at other times not so good Also the Buzard may well be taken in March and Aprill with setting thrée limerods and bayfed in a plaine with the liuer of a conny or such like The Moull trappe TO set this Moull trappe where any Moull hath cast ye shall first place two trestles ouer her casting then tread it downe with your foote softly so long and so broad as your fall is or more Then lay a poale crosse ouer your tresles and there on hang your trappe ouer the trench Then set a short stake with the bridge therein against the midst of your fall as ye may sée by the figure and set your stake so that the bridge end may lie and touch the earth all ouer in the trench crosse For when the Moull doth cast shée wil put vp that end of the bridge which do crosse the trench and the other end will fall on the clicket and so the trappe falles and the long nayles set at both endes of the fall kils her which way soeuer she comes or goes Your fall must be two foote long and foure inches broad and foure inches thicke for the heauier the better it is If it be too light yée may remedie it as ye thinke good Also yée may set your long nayles in a thencher or thinne borde and nayle that to your fall at both endes and let the next nayles on both sides be foure inches from the bridge Thus much for the moull trappe ye may thus kill them in gardens woodes high-wayes or where yee shall thinke good without anie watching of them The following trappe THis engine is called the following trappe for Mice it is made with two square bordes the bottome and the fall borde with edge bordes of an inch hie round about the neather borde and set with two wing bordes of each side one with a crosse lath ouer the middest to tye the string of the clicket Which string comes downe to the bridge plast with a crosse bridge and then is there wreathed corde or haire vnder the lath aboue and in that wreath is put the following staffe which as soone as the lidde doe fall that following staffe holdes it downe and the falling borde is nayled with two leathers as yée may sée to the lower borde and also the bridge is tide vnder vnto the lower bord with a string Thus much for the vnderstanding of the following trappe The griping trappe made all of yrne the lowest barre and the ring or hoope with two clickets and a turning pinne which ring is set fast to the sides of the lowest barre MOre vnto it is a plate round in the middest with fiue holes cut out and a sharpe yrne pinne in the middest which plate hath a spring on both sides vnder the edge of the plate and they stirre not of ioyntes vp and downe as the other doth but standes fast in touching the crosse pinne vnder the plate Here is more with two springs vntylde on both sides in holding together the two hoopes with nayles NOw when the two springes are opened abroade and holde downe here it is to be shewed as hee standeth tyled with the two springes downe flat to the long barre on both sides which springes are made of good stéele and as soone as the clickets which holde them downe vnder the plate when both the outward clickets be stirde The two springes shuts them suddenly together and there is in the two shutting hoopes sharpe pinnes of yrne set one