FIS
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FIS
Belly, and bluifh Back. Sturgeons are reckon'd among the Number of Royal Fifties; and when left on Shore, be- long to the King ; but when taken out at Sea, are the Pro- perty of the Perfon who takes them. See Royal Fife.
There arc Sturgeons of all Sizes ; and we even read of fome twenty Foot long: But the middle Size are reckon'd the beft.
Some will have this the Silurus of the Antients. Tis of the Roe, or Eggs of this Fifli, that the Cavia or Kavia, fo much prized by the Italians, &c. is prepared. See Cavia.
Sturgeon, when frefli, eats delicioufly. To make it keep, they fait or pickle it in large Pieces, and put them up in Cags, from 25 to 50 Pounds.
The greateft Sturgeon Fijhery in the World is in the Mouth of the Volga, in the Cafpian Sea ; where the Muf- covites find Employment for a great Number of Men.
They arc not caught in Nets, but in a kind of Inclofure, form'd by huge Stakes, difpofed in Triangles, reprefent- ing the Letter Z feveral times repeated. Thefe fort of Fijheries are open on the Side towards the Sea 5 and clofe on the other 5 by which means the Fifli, afcending in its Seafon up the River, embaraffes it felf in thefe narrow, angular Retreats, and not being able to turn it felf, to go back again, by reafon of its Bulk, is eafily ftruck, and killed with a fort of harping Iron,
The chief Object of this FiJIicry is the Roe ; which is a Commodity as much ufed in Mujcovy, as Butter in Hol- land $ and there are Sturgeons, that furnifli 400 Pounds thereof. 'Tis only the lcflcr and younger Sturgeon, that they pickle for Eating.
Pilchard Fijhery.
The ^Pilchard is a fmall Salt-water Fifh, bigger than the Anchovy; but lels than the Herring, which in other re- fpecls it refembles. Its Head is yellow ; Belly, white; and Head, a Sea-green. It cats admirably, frefh, or lightly falted.
There are Seafons for fifhing the Pilchard ; which, like the Herring and Anchovy, is a Fifh of Paffaga. They are prepared and falted much as the Anchovy is ; with this Difference, that the Head is cut off* the latter : But the Pilchard were diflinguifhable from the Anchovy, even tho' its Head were offlikewife; the Pilchard having a very flat Back, and the Anchovy a round one.
The chief 'Pilchard Fijheries are along the Coafls of 2)<j/- inatia, to the South of the Ifland Tffka : On the Coafis of Sretagne, from Sell Ifland, as far as Srejl; and along the Coafls of Cornwall and 'DevonJIoire.
That on the Coafls of 2)almatia is fo plentiful, that it not only furnifhes all Greece $ but a great Part of Italy. That on the Coafls of Sretagne employs yearly above three hun- dred Sloops, and moft of the Seamen of the Country.
The Fifh caught on our own Coafls, tho' bigger, are not fo much valued, as thofe on the Coafls of France ; owing principally to their not being fo thorougly cured. The Sea- ion is from June to September. — —
The Pilchards naturally follow the Light ; and will ga- ther about a Boat, which bears a Light in the Night-time; which contributes much to the Facility of the Fijhery.
On the Coafls of France they make ufe of the Roes of Cod- fifh, as a Bait; which, thrown into the Sea, makes them rife from the Bottom, and run into the Nets, dif- pofed for the Purpofe.
On our Coafls, there are Perfons pofted a-Ihore, who fpying by the Colour of the Water where the Shoals are, make Signs to the Boats, to get among them, to cafl their Nets.
When taken, the Fifh are brought to a Ware-houfe on Shore, where they are laid up in broad Piles, fupportcd by Backs or Sides.
As they pile them, they fait them with Bay Salt; in which, lying (baking twenty or thirty Days, they run out a deal of Blood, with dirty Pickle, and Bittern; which laft draws a deal of the Oil from the Fifh, to the great Lofs of the Owners. When taken out of the Pile, there remains a deal of Salt, Blood, Scales, fiffc. at Bottom, which, with frefli Salt, ferves for another Pile.
They now proceed to wafh them in Sea Water, to clear off the Dirt, and Blood ; and when dry, put them up in Barrels, and prefs them hard down, to fquceze out the Oil, which iflues away at an Hole in the Bottom of the Calk: And in this State, they are fit for Sale, or Ufe.— —
'Pearl Fishery, fee Pearl Fijhery,
FISHING, the Aft, or Art of catching Fijh, See Fish.
FiJJoing is diftinguifli'd, with regard to its Inftrument, into that performed with the Net, for Fifh. that go in Shoals ; and that with the Hook, for Jolitary Fifh : Which latter is properly called Angling* See Net, and Angling,
Fijhing again, is difiinguifh'd, wirh regard to its Ob- ject, into that perform 'd in Salt Water ; and that in Frejh. The firfi practifed for Whales, Herring, Cody Salmon, 'Pearls, MackareL and other Sea Fifh. See Fishep.y.
The latter pra&ifed for 'Pike, Trout, Carp, ifench. Perch, 2)ace, Fels,Scc.
The Inftruments principally ufed in Angling, or Fijhing with the Hook, are the Red, Line, Hook, and Fly. See Fishing Rod, Fishing Hook, Fishing Fly, &c.
The Points on which the Art q$ Fijhing chiefly turns, are the proper Seafon, Place, 'Baity and manner of Applica- tion. What relates to each hereof, we flia.Il here entertain the Reader withal, in the feveral kinds of Fijhing, chiefly praclifed among us.
Pike Fishing. The Pike is reputed the Tyrant of the frefli Waters : By the common Confcnt of Naturalifls, he is the longefl lived of all Fifhes. The larger he is found, the coarfer the Food; and fo vice vcrfa. This Fifli never fwims in Shoals, but always fingle ; being very rapacious, and prey- ing even on his own kind. He fpawns in February, and March. The befl: Sort is in Rivers : The worfl in' Meres and Ponds. His ordinary Food is Pickeral Weed, Frogs, and what Fifh he can lay hold on.
There are two ways of fijhing for the Pike ; by the Ledger Bait, and the Walking Bait. i°. The Ledger Sait is that, fix'd in one certain Place ; and which the Angler may leave behind him. Of this kind, the beft is fome living Bait, as a Dace, Roach, Gudgeon, or yellow Frog. To apply it, if a Fifh, flick the Hook through his upper Lip; then fatten- ing it to a ftrong Line, ten or twelve Yards long, tie the other End of the Line to fome Stake on the Ground, or Bough of a Tree, near the Pike's ufual Haunt ; letting the Line pafs over the Fork of a Stick, plac'd for the purpofe 5 fufpending the Hook, and about a Yard of Line in the Wa- ter; but fo, as that when the Pike bites, the Fork may give way, and let him have Line enough to his Hold and Paunch. If the Bait be a Frog, the Arming Wire is to be put in at his Mouth, and out at his Gills, and one of the Legs to be flitch 'd, or tied over the upper Joint of the Wire.—* 2 W . The Walking Sait is that the Fifher calls in, and con- duces with a Rod, &c. This Method is per for mM by a Troll, with a Winch to wind it up withal. At the Top of the Rod is to be placed a Ring for the Line to be run thro'. The Line, for two Yards, and a Quarter next the Hook, to be of Silk, double; and arm'd with Wire, the length of feven Inches : On the Shank of the Hook is to be faften'd a fmooth piece of Lead, fo as to fink the Fifh Bait, which is to be a Gudgeon, with its Head downwards. Thus dif- pofed, the Bait to be cafl up, and down 5 and if you feel the Fifh at the Hook, give him Length enough, to run away with the Bait, and paunch it : Then firike him with a fmart Jerk. To fifh with a dead Bait, ufe a Minnow, yellow Frog, Dace, or Roach, anointed in Gum of Gee, diflblved in Oil of Spike; and caft it where the Pike frequents. Af- ter it has lain a little while at the Bottom, draw it to the Top, and fo up the Stream, and you will quickly perceive a Pike in earneft Purfuit thereof. The Fifli bites befl about three in the Afternoon, in clear Water, with a gentle Gale, from the Middle of Summer, to the End of Autumn ; but in Winter all Day long; and in the Spring he bites beft ear- ly in the Morning, and late at Night. Another Method
of fijhing for Pike, fee under Huxing.
Trout Fishing. The Trout is a delicious Frefh-warer- Fifh, fpeckledwith red and yellow ; coming in, and going out of Seafon with the Buck, and fpawning in the cold Months of OBober and November ; whereas all the other Species fpawn in hot Summer Weather. There are divers Kinds of this Fifh, all valuable ; but the befl are the red and yel- low Trouts; and of thefe the Female, diftinguifli'd by a lefs Head and deeper Body, is preferr'd. They are known to be in Seafon, by their large Backs; which may ferve as a Rule for other Fifh. All Winter long they are fick, lean, and unwholefome, and frequently loufy. As the Spring comes on, deferring the ftill, deep Waters, they repair to the gravelly Ground, againft which they continue to rub, till they have got rid of their Lice, which are a kind of Worms, with large Heads. From that Time they delight to be in the fharp Streams, and fuch as are fwift ; where they lie in wait for Minnows and May Flies. At the latter End of May they are in their prime.
The ufual Baits whereby the Trout is catch'd, are the Worm, Minnow, and Fly, either Natural, or Artificial. The proper Worms are the Brandling, Lob-worm, Earth-worm, Dung-worm, and Maggot, or Gentle, efpecialiy the twofirfl: But whatever Worms are ufed, they are the better for keeping, which is to be done in an earthen Pot, with Mofs frequently changed. For the Minnow, flip the Hook thro 1 his Mouth, and the Point and Beard out of the Tail, (o as it may lie almoft ftraight on the Hook. Then try againft the Stream, whether it will turn. In defect of a Minnow,
a Imall
