第 32 节
作者:吻火      更新:2022-08-26 22:13      字数:9322
  Venator and Piscator
  Venator。 Good master; as we go now towards London; be still so courteous as to give me more instructions; for I have several boxes in my memory; in which I will keep them all very safe; there shall not one of them be lost。
  Piscator。 Well; scholar; that I will: and I will hide nothing from you that I can remember; and can think may help you forward towards a perfection in this art。 And because we have so much time; and I have said so little of Roach and Dace; I will give you some directions concerning them。
  Some say the Roach is so called from rutilus; which they say signifies red fins。 He is a fish of no great reputation for his dainty taste; and his spawn is accounted much better than any other part of him。 And you may take notice; that as the Carp is accounted the water…fox; for his cunning; so the Roach is accounted the water…sheep; for his simplicity or foolishness。 It is noted; that the Roach and Dace recover strength; and grow in season in a fortnight after spawning; the Barbel and Chub in a month; the Trout in four months; and the Salmon in the like time; if he gets into the sea; and after into fresh water。
  Roaches be accounted much better in the river than in a pond; though ponds usually breed the biggest。 But there is a kind of bastard small Roach; that breeds in ponds; with a very forked tail; and of a very small size; which some say is bred by the Bream and right Roach; and some ponds are stored with these beyond belief; and knowing…men; that know their difference; call them Ruds: they differ from the true Roach; as much as a Herring from a Pilchard。 And these bastard breed of Roach are now scattered in many rivers: but I think not in the Thames; which I believe affords the largest and fattest in this nation; especially below London Bridge。 The Roach is a leather…mouthed fish; and has a kind of saw…like teeth in his throat。 And lastly; let me tell you; the Roach makes an angler excellent sport; especially the great Roaches about London; where I think there be the best Roach…anglers。 And I think the best Trout…anglers be in Derbyshire; for the waters there are clear to an extremity。
  Next; let me tell you; you shall fish for this Roach in Winter; with paste or gentles; in April; with worms or cadis; in the very hot months; with little white snails; or with flies under water; for he seldom takes them at the top; though the Dace will。 In many of the hot months; Roaches may also be caught thus: take a May…fly; or ant…fly; sink him with a little lead to the bottom; near to the piles or posts of a bridge; or near to any posts of a weir; I mean any deep place where Roaches lie quietly; and then pull your fly up very leisurely; and usually a Roach will follow your bait up to the very top of the water; and gaze on it there; and run at it; and take it; lest the fly should fly away from him。
  I have seen this done at Windsor and Henley Bridge; and great store of Roach taken; and sometimes; a Dace or Chub。 And in August you may fish for them with a paste made only of the crumbs of bread; which should be of pure fine manchet; and that paste must be so tempered betwixt your hands till it be both soft and tough too: a very little water; and time; and labour; and clean hands; will make it a most excellent paste。 But when you fish with it; you must have a small hook; a quick eye; and a nimble hand; or the bait is lost; and the fish too; if one may lose that which he never had。 With this paste you may; as I said; take both the Roach and the Dace or Dare; for they be much of a kind; in manner of feeding; cunning; goodness; and usually in size。 And therefore take this general direction; for some other baits which may concern you to take notice of: they will bite almost at any fly; but especially at ant…flies; concerning which take this direction; for it is very good。
  Take the blackish ant…fly out of the mole…hill or ant…hill; in which place you shall find them in the month of June; or if that be too early in the year; then; doubtless; you may find them in July; August; and most of September。 Gather them alive; with both their wings: and then put them into a glass that will hold a quart or a pottle; but first put into the glass a handful; or more; of the moist earth out of which you gather them; and as much of the roots of the grass of the said hillock; and then put in the flies gently; that they lose not their wings: lay a clod of earth over it; and then so many as are put into the glass; without bruising; will live there a month or more; and be always in readiness for you to fish with: but if you would have them keep longer; then get any great earthen pot; or barrel of three or four gallons。 which is better。 then wash your barrel with water and honey; and having put into it a quantity of earth and grass roots; then put in your flies; and cover it; and they will live a quarter of a year。 These; in any stream and clear water; are a deadly bait for Roach or Dace; or for a Chub: and your rule is to fish not less than a handful from the bottom。
  I shall next tell you a winter…bait for a Roach; a Dace; or Chub; and it is choicely good。 About All…hallantide; and so till frost comes; when you see men ploughing up heath ground; or sandy ground; or greenswards; then follow the plough; and you shall find a white worm; as big as two maggots; and it hath a red head: you may observe in what ground most are; for there the crows will be very watchful and follow the plough very close: it is all soft; and full of whitish guts; a worm that is; in Norfolk and some other counties; called a grub; and is bred of the spawn or eggs of a beetle; which she leaves in holes that she digs in the ground under cow or horse dung; and there rests all winter; and in March or April comes to be first a red and then a black beetle。 Gather a thousand or two of these; and put them; with a peck or two of their own earth; into some tub or firkin; and cover and keep them so warm that the frost or cold air; or winds; kill them not: these you may keep all winter; and kill fish with them at any time; and if you put some of them into a little earth and honey; a day before you use them; you will find them an excellent bait for Bream; Carp; or indeed for almost any fish。
  And after this manner you may also keep gentles all winter; which are a good bait then; and much the better for being lively and tough。 Or you may breed and keep gentles thus: take a piece of beast's liver; and; with a cross stick; hang it in some corner; over a pot or barrel half full of dry clay; and as the gentles grow big; they will fall into the barrel and scour themselves; and be always ready for use whensoever you incline to fish; and these gentles may be thus created till after Michaelmas。 But if you desire to keep gentles to fish with all the year; then get a dead cat; or a kite; and let it be flyblown; and when the gentles begin to be alive and to stir; then bury it and them in soft moist earth; but as free from frost as you can; and these you may dig up at any time when you intend to use them: these will last till March; and about that time turn to be flies。
  But if you be nice to foul your fingers; which good anglers seldom are; then take this bait: get a handful of well…made malt; and put it into a dish of water; and then was'l and rub it betwixt your hands till you make it clean; and as free from husks as you can; then put that water from it; and put a small quantity of fresh water to it; and set it in something that is fit for that purpose; over the fire; where it is not to boil apace; but leisurely and very softly; until it become somewhat soft; which you may try by feeling it betwixt your finger and thumb; and when it is soft; then put your water from it: and then take a sharp knife; and turning the sprout end of the corn upward with the point of your knife; take the back part of the husk off from it; and yet leaving a kind of inward husk on the corn; or else it is marr'd and then cut off that sprouted end; I mean a little of it; that the white may appear; and so pull off the husk on the cloven side; as I directed you; and then cutting off a very little of the other end; that so your hook may enter; and if your hook be small and good; you will find this to be a very choice bait; either for winter or summer; you sometimes casting a little of it into the place where your float swims。
  And to take the Roach and Dace; a good bait is the young brood of wasps or bees; if you dip their heads in blood; especially good for Bream; if they be baked; or hardened in their husks in an oven; after the bread is taken out of it; or hardened on a fire…shovel: and so also is the thick blood of sheep; being half dried on a trencher; that so you may cut into such pieces as may best fit the size of your hook; and a little salt keeps it from growing black; and makes it not the worse; but better: this is taken to be a choice bait; if rightly ordered。
  There be several oils of a strong smell that I have been told of; and to be excellent to tempt fish to bite; of which I could say much。 But I remember I once carried a small bottle from Sir George Hastings to Sir Henry Wotton; they were both chemical men; as a great present: it was sent; and receiv'd; and us'd; with great confidence; a