ST. BOS WELLS. 231 



set great store by this bait, but I have never found in my 

 experience that it approached the "pink" worm in point 

 of attraction ; besides, it is difficult to toughen, and when 

 pierced emits a most offensive odour. In worm-fishing 

 with the tackle, no hook that has done some execution one 

 day should ever be used a second time; for independently 

 of the points being blunted, the dressing of the hook gets 

 frayed and loosened from the shank by rubbing against 

 the teeth of the fish caught, and nothing is more provoking 

 than to strike a good fish and lose it, in consequence of 

 the hook slipping down off the gut. The angler in such 

 circumstances richly deserves his loss for his temerity. 

 In setting out for a day's fishing I never like to have less 

 than eight or a dozen of the tackle in my book. Not 

 unfrequently one will do the work of the day, even when 

 trout are taking freely : but most commonly a good many 

 are lost through circumstances over which the angler has 

 little or no control. 



I have known anglers whose practice it was, after 

 taking their fish off the hook, to put them alive into the 

 basket, and leave them there slowly and miserably to 

 gasp themselves to death. This I consider a piece of 

 wanton cruelty, and I take the present opportunity of 

 protesting against it. It is surely quite an unnecessary 

 prolonging of their sufferings, even if it be conceded that 

 they do not ftrl very acutely ; and as far as I know, it can 

 answer no reasonable purpose. My own custom is to kill 

 the fish as soon as it is caught, and on all grounds, — the 

 angler's own safety included — this is the best course to 

 follow. I remember when fishing a reach of the river 



