Fish and Fishing 



In many localities the crawfish is an excellent 

 bait, especially at the season when it casts its shell, 

 when it is called a "shedder" or "peeler." 



They are found beneath stones at the 

 sides of rivers and brooks, under shelv- 

 ing grassy banks, among the pebbles; some bore 

 holes in the meadows. The crawfish is not used 



Hooked crawfish. 



in casting or trolling, but in still-fishing. It has 



a bad habit of getting fast under any object it 



„ , . can. In its usual state, the way to hook 

 Hooking ... , , ... •^, , 



it IS through the tail, but when the 



shell is off, it is safer to hook it through the body. 

 Crabs may be kept a long time in wet grass or 

 moss. 



The lamprey is quite as good a bait as the craw- 

 fish, and also gets fast under logs and rocks. 

 It is known as the lamper-eel and 

 inhabits fresh water of small rivers 

 and brooks. It is usually found in the muddy 

 sand, partially under water. To capture them 

 it is necessary to dig with a spade about nine 

 inches deep, throwing the mud on the dry bank 

 and searching through it for the wriggles. It 

 is back-aching work to get them, and the angler, 

 after some little experience in lamper-digging is 

 inclined to be over-generous to boys who get them 

 for him. They are, after being impaled on the 

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