'60 FISHING. 



pea or swan shot. They ought, moreover, to be 

 distinct and easily separated, as well as of a high 

 pink or brick colour. 



In every preparation of this bait, the first step 

 of the process is to cleanse the leaf, by removing 

 from it the clotted blood and other impurities 

 which it may happen to have contracted. In some 

 case3, when the roe is designed to be cured in the 

 leaf, this may be done simply with a cloth or towel ; 

 the natural juices are thus kept intact in their 

 primitive condition. But it seldom happens that 

 the leaf is so pure and undamaged as to allow of 

 such a superficial mode of cleansing. Accordingly, 

 in most cases, it is found essential to wash and pick 

 it. To do this properly use water slightly warmed 

 and mixed with a small quantity of milk. Perform 

 the operation in a large hand-basin, and transfer, 

 when cleansed, each leaf, layer, or fragment, to a 

 sieve or cullender, by means of which the super- 

 fluous fluid will most readily be drained off. Thus 

 cleansed and strained, the roe is made fit for one 

 or other of the processes of curing already alluded 

 to. 



The speediest and most efficacious method of 

 curing the roe for immediate use is this : Take the 

 layers of roe as they are taken from the fish, 

 cleanse them from all adhering particles of blood, 

 then take a piece of flannel, and after spreading it 



