eans of birds, a method peculiar to the Chinese, who train certain birds for the purpose in the same manner as falcons are taught to pursue game. For this purpose they have trained a species of pelican, resembling the common corvus, which they call the Leu-tse, or fishing bird. Sir George Staunton, who, when the embassy was proceeding on the southern branch of the great canal, saw these birds employed, tells us, that on a large lake, close to the east side of the canal, are thousands of small boats and rafts, built entirely for this species of fishery. On each boat or raft are ten or a dozen birds, which, at a signal from the owner, plunge into the water; and it is astonishing to see the enormous size of fish with which they return, grasped within their bills. They appeared to be so well trained, that it did not require either ring or cord about their throats to prevent them from swallowing any portion of their prey, except what their master was pleased to return to them for encouragement and food. The boat used by these fishermen is of a remarkable light make, and is often carried to the lake, together with the fishing birds, by the men who are there to be supported by it.
The same author saw the fishermen busy on the great lake Wee-chuang-lee; and he gives the following account of a very singular method practised by them for catching the fish of the lake without the aid of birds, of net, or of hooks. To the one side of a boat a flat board, painted white, is fixed, at an angle of about 45 degrees, the edge inclining towards the water. On moonlight nights the boat is so placed that the painted board is turned to the moon, from whence the rays of light striking on the whitened surface, give to it the appearance of moving water; on which the fish being tempted to leap on their element, the boatmen raising with a string the board, turn the fish into the boat.
Water-fowl are much sought after by the Chinese, and are taken upon the same lake by the following ingenious device. Empty jars or gourds are suffered to float about upon the water, that such objects may become familiar to the birds. The fisherman then wades into the lake with one of these empty vessels upon his head, and walks gently towards a bird; and lifting up his arm, draws it down below the surface of the water without any disturbance or giving alarm to the rest, several of whom he treats in the same manner, until he fills the bag he had brought to hold his prey. The contrivance itself is not so singular, as it is that the same exactly should have occurred in the new continent, as Ulloa asserts, to the natives of Carthagena, upon the lake Cienega de Tesias.
Fishing Floats, are little appendages to the line, serving An Epitome of the whole art of Fishing, wherein is shown, (at one view), the harbours, seasons, and depths, for catching all sorts of fish usually angled for; also the various baits for each, so digested as to contain the essence of all the treatises ever written on the subject, exempt from the superfluities, which tend more to perplex than instruct.
| Names | Where found | Season | Time to ang. | Depth from ground | Proper Baits | Fish and Insects | Worms. No. | Pastes. No. | Flies. No. | |----------------|-------------|--------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|------------------|------------|-------------|------------| | Bream | Rough str. river or mid. pond | Apr. to Mich. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Barbel | Gravel banks in currents under bridges | Apr. to Aug. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Bleak | Sandy bottom, deep rivers, ships stems | May to Oct. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Carp | Still deep mud bottom, pond or river | May to Aug. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Chub or Dace | Sandy bottom, deep rivers, ships stems | May to Oct. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Gudgeon Pike | Gravel shoals near clay banks | May to Dec. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Perch | River in stream gravel or weeds | May to Aug. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Pope Roach | Deep holes in rivers sandy bottom, ships stems | May to Oct. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Salmon | Deep rivers ships stems and docks | May to Oct. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Smelts | Purling stream and eddies of Mar. to Mich. | Apr. to Oct. | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Trout | Story bottom river | All the year | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Tench | Mud bottom, river or pond | All the year | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | Umbre or Grayling | Clay bottom, swift stream | All the year | Sunrise to 9 | Touch ground | Dito | 1 to 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Fishing Hook, a small instrument made of steel wire, of a proper form to catch and retain fish.
The fishing hook in general ought to be long in the shank, somewhat thick in the circumference, the point even and straight; let the bending be in the shank. For setting the hook on, use strong but small silk, laying the hair on the inside of your hook; for if it be on the outside, the silk will fret and cut it asunder.
There are several sizes of these fishing hooks, some big, some little; and of these, some have peculiar names; as, 1. Single hooks. 2. Double hooks; which have two bendings, one contrary to the other. 3. Snappers, or gorgers, which are the hooks to whip the artificial fly upon, or bait with the natural fly. 4. Springers, or spring hooks; a kind of double hooks, with a spring, which flies open upon being struck into any fish, and so keeps its mouth open.
Fishing-Line, is either made of hair twisted; or silk; or the Indian grass. The best colours are the sorrel, white, and gray; the two last for clear waters, the first for muddy ones. Nor is the pale watery green despisable; this colour is given artificially, by steeping the hair in a liquor made of alum, soot, and the juice of walnut leaves, boiled together.
Fishing Rod, a long slender rod or wand, to which the line is fastened, for angling.—Of these there are several sorts; as, 1. A troller, or trolling rod, which has a ring at the end of the rod, for the line to go through when it runs off a reel. 2. A whipper, or whipping rod; a top rod, that is weak in the middle, and top heavy, but all slender and fine. 3. A dropper; which is a strong rod and very light. 4. A snapper, or snap rod; which is a strong pole, peculiarly used for the pike. 5. A bottom rod; being the same as the dropper, but somewhat more pliable. 6. A snagging or procking stick; a forked stick, having a short strong line, with a needle, baited with a lob worm; this is only for eels in their holes.
Fishing Frog, or Angler. See Lophius.
Right of Fishing, and property of fish. It has been held, that where the lord of the manor hath the soil on both sides of the river, it is good evidence that he hath a right of fishing; and it puts the proof upon him who claims liberam piscariam: but where a river ebbs and flows, and is an arm of the sea, there it is common to all, and he who claims a privilege to himself must prove it; for if the trespass is brought for fishing there, the defendant may justify, that the place where is brachium maris, in quo unusquisque subditus domini regis habet et habere debet liberam piscariam. In the Severn the soil belongs to the owners of the land on each side; and the soil of the river Thames is in the king, but the fishing is common to all. He who is owner of the soil of a private river, hath separatis piscaria; and he that hath liberam piscariam, hath a property in the fish, and may bring a possessory action for them; but communis piscaria is like the case of all other commons. One that has a close pond in which there are fish, may call them pisces-suo, in an indictment, &c. but he cannot call them bona et catalla, if they be not in trunks. There needs no privilege to make a fish pond, as there doth in the case of a warren. See Franchise.