71 



must be taken to be prepared against their exertions. 

 For jacks, your gimp cannot well be too stout. 



Frogs are excellent baits for perch and jacks ; for the 

 former they ought to be very small. The yellowest are 

 the best, and, next to them, sucli as are striped, or 

 speckled in a shewy manner. They should be hooked 

 through the back muscle of the hind leg, tying up that 

 limb so as to conceal the hook a little j or you may pass 

 the hook through the skin of the back. 



It will require a good weight of shot on your line to 

 keep the frog down ; but he should be brought up now 

 and then, for air, or you may keep him chiefly on the 

 surface. In many places, especially among broad dock- 

 leaves, &c. where the jacks lay, with their noses often 

 out of the water, and are ready to seize whatever offers 

 (for in this manner they catch many moor-hens), it is 

 best to let your frog be on the surface. Of this, more 

 will be said, as also of the reason for using I ladder's as 

 floats, when we come to treat of jack-Jishing. 



When you catch any fishes with the intention to pre- 

 serve them for live baits, be careful to handle them as 

 little as possible, for they cannot bear it. Put them, as 

 soon as possible, into your minnow -kettle, which should 

 be of an oblong shape, about ten inches long, five deep, 

 and seven broad : it should have a cover, pierced with 

 small holes to admit air, and a hasp to fasten down se- 

 curely. A wire handle should be made, so large as to 

 let the top lift up without touching it. 



Your kettle should be filled with the same water as the 

 fish were in, which should be often changed. Indeed, 

 the best mode is, to immerse your kettle altogether in 

 tome shallow part, whereby the fish will be kept quite in 



spirits, 



