HOW TO CHOOSE & KEEP LIVE BAITS. 6-3 



When you go out for a day's Live-Bait Fishing, you 

 should take about a dozen live fish with you, principally 

 Gudgeons, if you can procure them, because Gudgeons 

 are a hardy strong fish, swims well, and will bear more 

 rough usage without losing their scales or life than any other 

 bait fish. Select all your baits from four and a half to 

 five and a half inches in length, but not larger, put them 

 into a full sized kettle, and frequently during your excur- 

 sion give them fresh water, and place the kettle out of the 

 sun, or in the water, where you can conveniently get to it. 



I have found that in putting my hand in the kettle, the 

 bait fish therein struggle and bounce about, and by so 

 doing, rub the scales off and otherwise injure each other, 

 therefore 1 have a very small net, not much more than half 

 the size of those used to take gold and silver fish out of 

 globes, &c. this net I carry very conveniently in my fish 

 kettle, by having a piece of the lid cut away at one 

 corner, where a few inches of the handle of the net pro- 

 jects ; by using this net I select which bait I may think 

 proper, without much disturbing the others, or distressing 

 them by putting a hot hand among these cool blooded 

 animals. I prefer a longish square kettle to a round one 

 (and always have mine japanned inside and out) for the 

 water is less agitated in such a shaped kettle when you are 

 carrying it than in a round one, and it is more convenient to 

 carry, or to pack in a basket, &c. for a journey (see the cut 

 in the first chapter, figure 1.) than those of a round form. 



