bottome of the Rod there was a hole made, for to put in a winde, to turne with a barrell, to gather up his Line, and loose at his pleasure; this was his manner of Trouling: But I will pawn my credit, that I will shew a way, either in Maior, Pond, or River, that shall take more Pikes than any Trouler with his Rod: And thus it is. First, take forked stick, a Line of twelve yards long wound upon it, at the upper end, leave about a yard, either to tye a bunch of Sags, or a Bladder, to Boy up the Fish, and to carry it from the ground: the Bait must be a live Fish, either Dace, or Gudgin, or Roach, or a small Trout: the forked stick must have a slit in the one side of the fork to put in the Line, that you may set your live Fish to swimme at a gage, that when the Pike taketh the Bait, he may have the full liberty of the Line for his feed.

You may turne these loose, either in Pond or River: in the Pond with the winde all day long, the more the better: at night set some small weight, as may stay the Boy, as a Ship lyeth at Anchor, till the Fish taketh. For the River, you must turn all loose with the streame; two or three be sufficient to shew pleasure, gaged at such a depth as they will go currant downe the River; there is no doubt of sport, if there be Pikes: for the hooks, they must be doubled books, the shanks should be somewhat shorter than ordinary: my reason is, the shorter the hook is of the shank, it will hurt the live Fish the lesse, and must be armed with small wyre well softned; but I hold a hook armed with twisted silk to be better, for it will hurt the live fish least.

If you arm your hook with wyre, the neeld must be made with a small hook at the one end thereof. If you arme with silke, the neeld must be made with an eye: then must you take one of those Baits alive (which you can get) and with one of your neelds enter within a strawes breath of the Gill of the Fish, so put the neeld betwixt the skin and the Fish; then pull the neeld out at the hindmost finne, and draw the arming thorow the Fish, until the hook come to lye close to the Fishes bodie: But I hold for those that be armed with wyre to take off the hook, and put the neeld in the hindmost fin and so to come forth at the Gill; then put on the hook drawn close to the body, 'twill hurt the live Fish the less, so knit the arming with the live Fish to the Line; then put off either in Maior or Pond, with the winde, in the River with the stream: The more you put off in Maior or Pond, you are like to have the more pleasure: For the River I have shewed you before.

There is a time when Pikes goe a Frogging Ditches, and in the River to Sun them, as in May, June and July, there is a speedy way to take them, and not to misse scarce one in twenty.

You must take a Line of six or eight foot long, arm a large hook, of the largest size that is made; arm it to your Line, lead the shank of your hook very handsom, that it may be of such a weight as you may guide the hook at your pleasure: you may strike the Pike, you see, with the bare hook where you please: this Line and hook doth far exceed snaring.

The principall sport to take a Pike, is to take a Goose or Gander, or Duck: take one of the Pike Lines I have shewed you before: tye the Line under the left wing, and over the right wing, about the body, as a man weareth his Belt: turne the Goose off into a Pond, where Pikes are, there is no doubt of sport, with great pleasure, betwixt the Goose and the Pike: It is the greatest sport and pleasure that a noble Gentleman in Shropshire doth give his friends entertainment with.

The way to make the best paste is, Take, a reasonable quantity of fresh Butter, as much fresh sheeps Suet, a reasonable quantity of the strongest Cheese you can get, with the soft of an old stale white loafe; beat all this in a Morter till it come to perfect paste; put as much on your hook as a green pease.

There are many wayes