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_: I