The next thing we come to prepare is the Line, which though easy, yet admits of some Rule; wherefore to make it neat, handsome and strong, twist the Hair you make it of even, having seen if the Hair be of an equal bigness; then steep your Line in Water, to see if the Hairs shrink, if so, you must twist them over again. The Colour of the Hair is best of Sorrel, White and Grey; Sorrel for muddy boggy Rivers, and the two last for clear Waters. Nor is the Pale watry green contemptible, dyed thus: Take a pint of strong Ale, half a pound of Soot, a little of the Juice of Walnut-Leaves and Allum; Boyle these together in a Pipkin half an hour, take it off, and when ’tis cold, put in your Hair. In making your Line of Hair mix not Silk; but either all Hair, or all Silk; as likewise distinguish the Line for the Ground Angle, and that for the Fly-Rod, the last must be stronger than the first; in that for the Artificial Fly, making the uppermost Link twenty Hairs long, less in the next, and so less till you come to the Fly. Lastly at each end of your Line make a Loop (called a Bow) the one Larger, to fasten to, and take it from the top of your Rod, and the other Lesser to hang your Hook-line on.
Your Hook comes next, and requires your Care, That it be Long in the shank, something Round in compass, the point straight and even, and bending in the shank. Set on your Hook with strong small Silk, laying your Hair on the inside of the Hook.
Your Flote challenges divers wayes of making. Some using Muscovy Duck-quills for still Waters. Others the best sound Cork without flaws or holes, bored through with a hot Iron, and a Quill of a fit proportion put into it; then pared into a pyramidal Form, or in the fashion of a small Peare, to what bigness you please, and ground smooth with a Grindstone or Pumice; this is best for strong Streams.
In fine, To plum the Ground, get a Carbine Bullet bored through, and in a strong twist hanged on your Hook or Rod. To sharpen your Hook, carry a little Whetstone. To carry your several Utensils without incommoding your Tackle, have several Partitions of Parchment. And in short the Ingenious Angler will not be unprovided of his Bob and Palmer; his Boxes of all sizes for his Hooks, Corks, Silk, Thread, Flies, Lead, &c. His Linnen and Woollen Bait-Bags; His splinted Osier light Pannier; And lastly his Landing Hook, with a Screw at the end to screw it into the socket of a Pole, & stricken into the Fish, to draw it to Land: To which socket, a Hook to cut up the Weeds, and another to pull out Wood, may be fastned.
But all those Implements I have described, serve to no purpose, if we do not observe to have the Agents and Effecters of our Pastime in store, I mean proper Baits and Inticements to take your Fish. Which branch themselves into three Kinds.
First, The Life-baits, which are all kind of Worms, Redworm, Maggot, Dors, Froggs, Bobb, Brown-Flies, Grashoppers, Hornets, Wasps, Bees, Snails, small Roaches, Bleak, Gudgeon, or Loaches.
Secondly, Artificial living Baits, of Flyes of all sorts and shapes, made about your Hooks with Silk and Feathers, at all times seasonable, especially in blustering Weather.
Lastly, Dead Baits, Pasts of all maings, Wasps dryed or undryed, clotted Sheeps-blood, Cheese, Bramble-berries, Corn, Seeds, Cherries, &c. The two first good in May, June and July, the two next in April; and the last in the Fall of the Leaf.
Of Flies.
Of Natural Flies there are innumerable, and therefore it cannot be expected I can particularize all; but some of their Names I shall nominate, viz. The Dun-Fly, Red-Fly, May-Fly, Tawny-Fly, Moor-Fly, Shell-Fly, Flag-Fly, Vine-Fly, Cloudy or Blackish-Fly, Canker-Flies, Bear-Flies, Caterpillars, and thousands more, differing according to the Soiles, Rivers or Plants.