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And　this　reason　of　Sir　Francis　Bacon　has　made　me　crave　pardon　of　one　that　I　laughed　at　for　affirming　that　he　knew　Carps　come　to　a　certain　place；　in　a　pond；　to　be　fed　at　the　ringing　of　a　bell　or　the　beating　of　a　drum。　And；　however；　it　shall　be　a　rule　for　me　to　make　as　little　noise　as　I　can　when　I　am　fishing；　until　Sir　Francis　Bacon　be　confuted；　which　I　shall　give　any　man　leave　to　do。

And　lest　you　may　think　him　singular　in　this　opinion；　I　will　tell　you；　this

seems　to　be　believed　by　our　learned　Doctor　Hakewill；　who　in　his　Apology　of　God's　power　and　providence；　quotes　Pliny　to　report　that　one　of　the　emperors　had　particular　fish…ponds；　and；　in　them；　several　fish　that　appeared　and　came　when　they　were　called　by　their　particular　names。　And　St。　James　tells　us；　that　all　things　in　the　sea　have　been　tamed　by　mankind。　And　Pliny　tells　us；　that　Antonia；　the　wife　of　Drusus；　had　a　Lamprey　at　whose　gills　she　hung　jewels　or　ear…rings；　and　that　others　have　been　so　tender…hearted　as　to　shed　tears　at　the　death　of　fishes　which　they　have　kept　and　loved。　And　these　observations；　which　will　to　most　hearers　seem　wonderful；　seem　to　have　a　further　confirmation　from　Martial；　who　writes　thus：…

Piscator；　fuge；　ne　nocens；　etc。

Angler　！　would'st　thou　be　guiltless　？　then　forbear；　For　these　are　sacred　fishes　that　swim　here；　Who　know　their　sovereign；　and　will　lick　his　hand；　Than　which　none's　greater　in　the　world's　command；　Nay　more　they've　names；　and；　when　they　called　are；　Do　to　their　several　owner's　call　repair。

All　the　further　use　that　I　shall　make　of　this　shall　be；　to　advise　anglers　to　be　patient；　and　forbear　swearing；　lest　they　be　heard；　and　catch　no　fish。

And　so　I　shall　proceed　next　to　tell　you；　it　is　certain　that　certain　fields　near　Leominster；　a　town　in　Herefordshire；　are　observed　to　make　the　sheep　that　graze　upon　them　more　fat　than　the　next；　and　also　to　bear　finer　wool；　that　is　to　say；　that　that　year　in　which　they　feed　in　such　a　particular　pasture；　they　shall　yield　finer　wool　than　they　did　that　year　before　they　came　to　feed　in　it；　and　coarser；　again；　if　they　shall　return　to　their　former　pasture；　and；　again；　return　to　a　finer　wool；　being　fed　in　the　fine　wool　ground：　which　I　tell　you；　that　you　may　the　better　believe　that　I　am　certain；　if　I　catch　a　Trout　in　one　meadow；　he　shall　be　white　and　faint；　and　very　like　to　be　lousy；　and；　as　certainly；　it　I　catch　a　Trout　in　the　next　meadow；　he　shall　be　strong；　and　red；　and　lusty；　and　much　better　meat　Trust　me；　scholar；　I　have　caught　many　a　Trout　in　a　particular　meadow；　that　the　very　shape　and　the　enamelled　colour　of　him　hath　been　such　as　hath　joyed　me　to　look　on　him：　and　I　have　then；　with　much　pleasure；　concluded　with　Solomon；　〃Everything　is　beautiful　in　his　season〃。

I　should；　by　promise；　speak　next　of　the　Salmon；　but　I　will；　by　your　favour；　say　a　little　of　the　Umber　or　Grayling；　which　is　so　like　a　Trout　for　his　shape　and　feeding；　that　I　desire　I　may　exercise　your　patience　with　a　short　discourse　of　him；　and　then；　the　next　shall　be　of　the　Salmon。




The　fourth　day　…　continued

The　Umber　or　Grayling

Chapter　VI

Piscator

The　Umber　and　Grayling　are　thought　by　some　to　differ　as　the　Herring　and　Pilchard　do。　But　though　they　may　do　so　in　other　nations；　I　think　those　in　England　differ　nothing　but　in　their　names。　Aldrovandus　says；　they　be　of　a　Trout　kind；　and　Gesner　says；　that　in　his　country；　which　is　Switzerland；　he　is　accounted　the　choicest　of　all　fish。　And　in　Italy；　he　is；　in　the　month　of　May；　so　highly　valued；　that　he　is　sold　there　at　a　much　higher　rate　than　any　other　fish。　The　French；　which　call　the　Chub　Un　Villain；　call　the　Umber　of　the　lake　Leman　Un　Umble　Chevalier；　and　they　value　the　Umber　or　Grayling　so　highly；　that　they　say　he　feeds　on　gold；　and　say；　that　many　have　been　caught　out　of　their　famous　river　of　Loire；　out　of　whose　bellies　grains　of　gold　have　been　often　taken。　And　some　think　that　he　feeds　on　water　thyme；　and　smells　of　it　at　his　first　taking　out　of　the　water；　and　they　may　think　so　with　as　good　reason　as　we　do　that　our　Smelts　smell　like　violets　at　their　being　first　caught；　which　I　think　is　a　truth。　Aldrovandus　says；　the　Salmon；　the　Grayling；　and　Trout；　and　all　fish　that　live　in　clear　and　sharp　streams；　are　made　by　their　mother　Nature　of　such　exact　shape　and　pleasant　colours　purposely　to　invite　us　to　a　joy　and　contentedness　in　feasting　with　her。　Whether　this　is　a　truth　or　not；　is　not　my　purpose　to　dispute：　but　'tis　certain；　all　that　write　of　the　Umber　declare　him　to　be　very　medicinable。　And　Gesner　says；　that　the　fat　of　an　Umber　or　Grayling；　being　set；　with　a　little　honey；　a　day　or　two　in　the　sun；　in　a　little　glass；　is　very　excellent　against　redness　or　swarthiness；　or　anything　that　breeds　in　the　eyes。　Salvian　takes　him　to　be　called　Umber　from　his　swift　swimming；　or　gliding　out　of　sight　more　like　a　shadow　or　a　ghost　than　a　fish。　Much　more　might　be　said　both　of　his　smell　and　taste：　but　I　shall　only　tell　you　that　St。　Ambrose；　the　glorious　bishop　of　Milan；　who　lived　when　the　church　kept　fasting…days；　calls　him　the　flower…fish；　or　flower　of　fishes；　and　that　he　was　so　far　in　love　with　him；　that　he　would　not　let　him　pass　without　the　honour　of　a　long　discourse；　but　I　must；　and　pass　on　to　tell　you　how　to　take　this　dainty　fish。

First　note；　that　he　grows　not　to　the　bigness　of　a　Trout；　for　the　biggest　of　them　do　not　usually　exceed　eighteen　inches。　He　lives　in　such　rivers　as　the　Trout　does；　and　is　usually　taken　with　the　same　baits　as　the　Trout　is；　and　after　the　same　manner；　for　he　will　bite　both　at　the　minnow；　or　worm；　or　fly；　though　he　bites　not　often　at　the　minnow；　and　is　very　gamesome　at　the　fly；　and　much　simpler；　and　therefore　bolder　than　a　Trout；　for　he　will　rise　twenty　times　at　a　fly；　if　you　miss　him；　and　yet　rise　again。　He　has　been　taken　with　a　fly　made　of　the　red　feathers　of　a　paroquet；　a　strange　outlandish　bird；　and　he　will　rise　at　a　fly　not　unlike　a　gnat；　or　a　small　moth；　or；　indeed；　at　most　flies　that　are　not　too　big。　He　is　a　fish　that　lurks　close　all　Winter；　but　is　very　pleasant　and　jolly　after　mid…April；　and　in　May；　and　in　the　hot　months。　He　is　of　a　very　fine　shape；　his　flesh　is　white；　his　teeth；　those　little　ones　that　he　has；　are　in　his　throat；　yet　he　has　so　tender　a　mouth；　that　he　is　oftener　lost　after　an　angler　has　hooked　him　than　any　other　fish。　Though　there　be　many　of　these　fishes　in　the　delicate　river　Dove；　and　in　Trent；　and　some　other　smaller　rivers；　as　that　which　runs　by　Salisbury；　yet　he　is　not　so　general　a　fish　as　the　Trout；　nor　to　me　so　good　to　eat　or　to　angle　for。　And　so　I　shall　take　my　leave　of　him：　and　now　come　to　some　observations　of　the　Salmon；　and　how　to　catch　him。




The　fourth　day　…　continued

The　Salmon

Chapter　VII

Piscator

The　Salmon　is　accounted　the　King　of　freshwater　fish；　and　is　ever　bred　in　rivers　relating　to　the　sea；　yet　so　high。　or　far　from　it；　as　admits　of　no　tincture　of　salt；　or　brackishness。　He　is　said　to　breed　or　cast　his　spawn；　in　most　rivers；　in　the　month　of　August：　some　say；　that　then　they　dig　a　hole　or　grave　in　a　safe　place　in　the　gravel；　and　there　place　their　eggs　or　spawn；　after　the　melter　has　done　his　natural　office；　and　then　hide　it　most　cunningly；　and　cover　it　over　with　gravel　and　stones；　and　then　leave　it　to　their　Creator's　protection；　who；　by　a　gentle　heat　which　he　infuses　into　that　cold　element；　makes　it　brood；　and　beget　life　in　the　spawn；　and　to　become　Samlets　early　in　the　spring　next　following。

The　Salmons　having　spent　their　appointed　time；　and　done　this　natural　duty　in　the　fresh　waters；　they　then　haste　to　the　sea　before　winter；　both　the　melter　and　spawner；　but　if　they　be　stops　by　flood…gates　or　weirs；　or　lost　in　the　fresh　waters；　then　those　so　left　behind　by　degrees　grow　sick　and　lean；　and　unseasonable；　and　kipper；　that　is　to　say；　have　bony　gristles　grow　out　of　their　lower　chaps；　not　unlike　a　hawk's　beak；　which　hinders　their　feeding；　and；　in　time；　such　fish　so　left　behind　pine　away　and　die。　'Tis　observed；　that　he　may　live　thus　one　year　from　the　sea；　but　he　then　grows　insipid　and　tasteless；　and　loses　both　his　blood　and　strength；　and　pines　and　dies　the　second　year。　And　'tis　noted；　that　those　little　Salmons　called　Skeggers；　which　abound　in　many　rivers　relating　to　the　sea；　are　bred　by　such　sick　Salmons　that　might　not　go　to　the　sea；　and　that　though　they　abound；　yet　they　never　thrive　to　any　considerable　bigness。

But　if　the　old　Salmon　gets　to　the　sea；　then　that　gristle　which　shews　him　to　be　kipper；　wears　away；　or　is　cast　off；　as　the　eagle　is　said　to　cast　his　bill；　and　he　recovers　his　strength；　and　comes　next　summer　to　the　same　river；　if　it　be　possible；　to　enjoy　the　former　pleasures　that　there　possess　him；　for；　as　one　has　wittily　observed；　he　has；　like　some　persons　of　honour　and　riches　which　have　both　their　winter　and　summer　houses；　the　fresh　rivers　for　summer；　and　the　salt　water　for　winter；　to　spend　his　life　in；　which　is　not；　as　Sir　Francis　Bacon　hath　observed　in　his　History　of　Life　and　Death；　above　ten　years。　And　it　is　to　be　observed；　that　though　the　Salmon　does　grow　big　in　the　sea；　yet　he　grows　not　fat　but　in　fresh　rivers；　and　it　is　observed；　that　the　farther　they　get　from　the　sea；　they　be　both　the　fatter　and　better。

Next；　I　shall　tell　you；　that　though　they　make　very　hard　shift　to　get　out　of　the　fresh　rivers　into　the