ce in four or five dayes,
soft boyled _Corn_ (or oftner for _Carp_, and _Tench_) Also _Garbage_,
_Beasts Livers_, chopt _Worms_, _Grains_ steept in _Blood_, to attract
them to the place; and to keep them together, throw in half a handfull
of _Grains_ of ground _Malt_: But in a stream, cast it above your Hook,
that floating towards you may draw the Fish thither.

Before I conclude, I was afraid this discourse would have been
imperfect, had not something been spoken of _Fish-ponds_, their
Ordering, and Improving, that the private Gentleman may not be destitute
of some appropriated place to himself, wherein he may Recreate himself
in this excellent Pastime; great _Rivers_ belonging either to the King,
or to Lords of Mannours, whose Authorities and Jurisdictions must be
kept inviolate, and excludes our Intrusion there.

_Of Fish-ponds._

When you have a desire to dig a _Fish-pond_, coveting the several
Advantages that do thence accrue to you, you must first of all consult,
what _Grounds_ are most fit and proper to be cast into a Pond, _viz_,
Those which are _Marrishy_; or _Boggy_; or full of _Springs_, unfit for
_Grazing_, or to be put to any profitable use besides. Of these the
last, full of _springs_, will yield the best Water; that which is
_Marshy_ will feed Fish; and that which is _Boggy_ is best for a Defence
against Thieves.

Thus being furnished with a piece of Wast Ground, I now mentioned, let
us now to work; And first draw by small Trenches all the Springs or
moist Veines into one place, and so drain the rest of the Ground; then
mark out the Head of your Pond, and make it the highest part of the
ground in the Eye, tho it be the lowest in the true Level: Cut the
Trench of your _Floodgate_ so, that when the VVater is let out, it may
have a swift Fall: On each side of which Trench drive in great Stakes of
_Oak_, _Ash_ or (which is best) _Elme_, six foot long, and six Inches
square; place these in Rowes four foot distance one from another, as
broad and wide from the _Floodgate_ as you intend the Head of your Pond
shall go: Now give us the Spade _Tom_, and fetch us the Pick-ax _Jack_,
and to digging of our Pond; Dig it as big and large a Compass as the
Ground will permit, throw your Earth amongst the said stakes, and ram it
between them, hard and firm, till you have covered the stakes: Drive in
as many new ones more besides the heads of the first stakes, and ram
more Earth above them too: Do thus with stakes abov