glad both to exchange such a courtesy, and also to enjoy your company. Venator. Well, now let's go to your sport of angling. all, gentlemen, and send you meet, this day, with another bitchotter, and kill her merrily, and all her young ones too. Venator. Now, Piscator, where will you begin to fish? Piscator. We are not yet come to a likely place: I must walk a mile farther yet before I begin. Venator. Well, then, I pray, as we walk, tell me freely, how do you like your lodging, and mine host, and the company? Is not mine host a witty man? Piscator. Sir, I will tell you presently what I think of your host: but, first, I will tell you, I am glad these otters were killed; and I am sorry that there are no more otter-killers, for I know that the want of otter-killers, and the not keeping the fence-months for the preservation of fish, will, in time, prove the destruction of all rivers. And those very few that are left, that make conscience of the laws of the nation, and of keeping days of abstinence, will be forced to eat flesh, or suffer more inconveniences than are yet foreseen. Venator. Why, sir, what be those that you call the fencemonths? Piscator. Sir, they be principally three, namely, March, April, and May; for these be the usual months that salmon come out of the sea to spawn in most fresh rivers. * And their fry would, about a certain time, return back to the salt water, if they were not hindered by weirs and unlawful gins, which the greedy fishermen set, and so destroy them by thousands, as they would, being so taught by nature, change the fresh for salt water. He that shall view the wise statutes made in the 13th of Edward the First, and the like in Richard the Third, may see several provisions made against the destruction of fish: and though I profess no knowledge of the law, yet I am sure the regulation of these defects might be easily mended. But I remember that a wise friend of mine did usually say, "That which is every body's business is nobody's business." If it were otherwise, there could not be so many nets and fish, that are under the statute size, sold daily amongst us; and of which the conservators of the waters should be ashamed. † This is a mistake; for salmon come out of the sea to spawn in October and November.-J. R. + About the year 1770, upon the trial of an indictment before me at Hicks's-hall, a basket was produced in evidence, containing flounders that had been taken with unlawful nets in the river Thames, so small that scarce But, above all, the taking fish in spawning time may be said to be against nature: it is like the taking the dam on the nest when she hatches her young -a sin so against nature that Almighty God hath, in the Levitical law, made a law against it. But the poor fish have enemies enough beside such unnatural fishermen ; as, namely, the otters that I spake of, the Cormorant, the Bittern, the Osprey, the Sea-gull, the Heron, the King-fisher, the Gorara,* the Puet, † the Swan, Goose, Duck, and the Craber,* which some call the Water-rat: against all which any honest man may make a just quarrel, but I will not; I will leave them to be quarrelled with and killed by others; for I am not of a cruel nature- I love to kill nothing but fish. : And, now, to your question concerning your host, to speak truly, he is not to me a good companion: for most of his conceits were either Scripture jests, or lascivious jests, for which I count no man witty for the devil will help a man, that way inclined, to the first; and his own corrupt nature, which he always carries with him, to the latter. But a companion that feasts the company with wit and mirth, and leaves out the sin which is usually mixed with them, he is the man; and, indeed, such a companion should have his charges borne; and to such company I hope to bring you this night; for at Trout Hall, not far from this place, where purpose to lodge to-night, there is usually an angler that proves good company. And, let me tell you, good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue. But for such discourse as we heard last night, it infects others; the very boys will learn to talk and swear, as they heard mine host, and another of the company that shall be nameless. I am sorry the other is a gentleman for less religion will not save their souls than a beggar's I think more will be required at the last great day. Well, you know what exam ple is able to do; and I know what the poet says in the like case, which is worthy to be noted by all parents and people of civility, many a one Owes to his country his religion; And in another would as strongly grow, Had but his nurse or mother taught him so. This is reason put into verse, and worthy the consideration of a wise man. But of this no more; for though I love civility yet I hate severe censures. I'll to my own art, and I doubt not any one of them would cover a half-crown piece. The indictment was for an affray and an assault on a person authorized to seize unstatutable nets; and the sentence of the offender, a year's imprisonment in Newgate. *I do not exactly know what animals are meant by "Gorara" and "Craber."- J. R. + Probably the Peewit Gull (Larus ridibundus, LEISLER.)~J. R. but at yonder tree I shall catch a Chub: and then we'll turn to an honest cleanly hostess, that I know right well, rest ourselves there, and dress it for our dinner. Venator. Oh, sir! a Chub is the worst fish that swims: I hoped for a Trout to my dinner. Piscator. Trust me, sir, there is not a likely place for a Trout hereabout: and we staid so long to take our leave of your huntsmen this morning, that the sun is got so high, and shines so clear, that I will not undertake the catching of a Trout till evening. And though a Chub be, by you and many others, reckoned the worst of fish, yet you shall see I'll make it a good fish by dressing it. Venator. Why, how will you dress him? Piscator. I'll tell you by and by, when I have caught him. Look you here, sir, do you see? (but you must stand very close,) there lie upon the top of the water, in this very hole, twenty Chubs. I'll catch only one, and that shall be the biggest of them all and that I will do so, I'll hold you twenty to one : and you shall see it done. Venator. Ay, marry, sir! now you talk like an artist, and I'll say you are one, when I shall see you perform what you say you can do: but I yet doubt it. Piscator. You shall not doubt it long, for you shall see me do it presently. Look! the biggest of these Chubs has had some bruise upon his tail, by a Pike, or some other accident, and that looks like a white spot; that very Chub I mean to put into your hands presently. Sit you but down in the shade, and stay but a little while, and, I'll warrant you, I'll bring him to you. Venator. I'll sit down and hope well, because you seem to be so confident. Piscator. Look you, sir, there is a trial of my skill! there he is, that very Chub that I shewed you, with the white spot on his tail. And I'll be as certain to make him a good dish of meat, as I was to catch him: I'll now lead you to an honest alehouse, where we shall find a cleanly room, lavender in the windows, and twenty ballads stuck about the wall. There my hostess (which I may tell you is both cleanly, and handsome, and civil) hath dressed many a one for me, and shall now dress it after my fashion, and I warrant it good meat. Venator. Come, sir, with all my heart! for I begin to be hungry, and long to be at it, and indeed to rest myself too; for though I have walked but four miles this morning, yet I begin to be weary: yesterday's hunting hangs still upon me. Piscator. Well, sir, and you shall quickly be at rest, for yonder is the house I mean to bring you to. Come, hostess, how do you do? Will you first give us a cup of your best drink, and then dress this Chub as you dressed my last, when I and my friend were here about eight or ten days ago? But you must do me one courtesy, it must be done instantly. Hostess. I will do it, Mr Piscator, and with all the speed I can. Piscator. Now, sir, has not my hostess made haste? and does not the fish look lovely? Venator. Both, upon my word, sir! and, therefore, let's say grace and fall to eating of it. Piscator. Well, sir, how do you like it? Venator. Trust me, 'tis as good meat as I ever tasted. Now let me thank you for it, drink to you, and beg a courtesy of you, but it must not be denied me. Piscator. What is it, I pray, sir? You are so modest, that, methinks, I may promise to grant it before it is asked. Venator. Why, sir, it is, that from henceforth you would allow me to call you master, and that really I may be your scholar for you are such a companion, and have so quickly caught and so excellently cooked this fish, as makes me ambitious to be your scholar. Piscator. Give me your hand! from this time forward I will be your master, and teach you as much of this art as I am able; and will, as you desire me, tell you somewhat of the nature of most of the fish that we are to angle for, and I am sure I both can and will tell you more than any common angler yet knows. CHAPTER III. HOW TO FISH FOR AND TO DRESS THE CHAVENDER OR CHUB. Piscator. THE Chub, though he eat well thus dressed, yet, as he is usually dressed, he does not. He is objected against, not only for being full of small forked bones, dispersed through all his body, but that he eats waterish, and that the flesh of him is not firm, but short and tasteless. The French esteem him so mean, as to call him un villain: nevertheless he may be so dressed as to make him very good meat,as, namely, if he be a large Chub, then dress him thus: First, scale him, and then wash him clean, and then take out his guts; and to that end make the hole as little and near to his gills as you may conveniently, and especially make clean his throat from the grass and weeds that are usually in it; for if that be not very clean, it will make him to taste very sour. Having so done, put some sweet herbs into his belly; and then tie him with two or three splinters to a spit, and roast him, basted often with vinegar, or rather verjuice and butter, with good store of salt mixed with it. Being thus dressed, you will find him a much better dish of meat than you, or most folk, even than anglers themselves, do imagine; for this dries up the fluid watery humour with which all Chubs do abound. But take this rule with you, that a Chub newly taken and newly dressed is so much better than a Chub of a day's keeping after he is dead, that I can compare him to nothing so fitly as to cherries newly gathered from a tree, and others that have been bruised and lain a day or two in water. But the Chub being thus used, and dressed presently, and not washed after he is gutted, (for note, that lying long in water, and washing the blood out of any fish after they be gutted, abates much of their sweetness,) you will find the Chub (being dressed in the blood, and quickly) to be such meat as will recompense your labour, and disabuse your opinion. Or you may dress the Chavender, or Chub, thus : When you have scaled him, and cut off his tail and fins, and washed him very clean, then chine, or slit, him through the middle, as a salt-fish is usually cut; then give him three or four cuts, or scotches, on the back with your knife, and broil him on charcoal, or wood coal, that are free from smoke: and, all the time he is a-broiling, baste him with the best sweet butter, and good store of salt mixed with it. And, to this, add a little thyme cut exceedingly small, or bruised into the butter. The Cheven thus dressed, hath the watery taste taken away, for which so many except against him. Thus was the Cheven dressed that you now liked so well, and commended so much. But note again, that if this Chub that you eat of had been kept till to-morrow, he had not been worth a rush. And remember, that his throat be washed very clean-I say very clean-and his body not washed after he is gutted, as indeed no fish should be. Well, scholar, you see what pains I have taken to recover |