180 THE CARP. 



Carps may also be improved in their edible qualities by being 

 deprived of their generative organs ; a discovery first made by one 

 Samuel Fuller, who opening the ovary of the carps, and taking 

 out the eggs from the females, and the milts from the males, sup- 

 plied their deficiency by a piece of old hat, taking especial care at 

 the same time not to injure either the urethra or rectum, and 

 uniting the wound by a suture.* It has indeed for many years 

 been the common practice to prick the air bladders of fishes of 

 the cod kind with a needle, in order to allow the air to escape, 

 when fishes of this kind are kept alive in well boats ; otherwise 

 the bladders would become so inflated that the fish would be una- 

 ble to sink his nose beneath the surface, in which situation he 

 would soon die ; whereas, after the above-mentioned operation, 

 the fish will live for weeks, apparently uninjured by it, except 

 that their movements are less active, and they are ever afterwards 

 unable to rise to the surface. 



And now for the baits wherewith to inveigle this crafty 

 fish. 



The bait I have ever found the most successful is a well scoured 

 red worm of moderate size, or a couple of brandlings baited as 

 before directed t for catching trout. I have tried pastes of various 

 kinds, but have rarely succeeded well with any of them ; though 

 I have known persons who when fishing with paste for roach have 

 unexpectedly hooked a lusty carp ; and many there are who give a 

 decided preference to paste in carp fishing to any other kind of bait 

 whatever. 



The following is a good receipt for making paste Take the flesh 

 of a rabbit cut small and some flour, (bean flour is the best ;) mix 

 these together with a little honey, and pound them in a mortar ; 

 white wool may also be mixed up with it to cause it to adhere the 

 more toughly together. Another sort of paste is also recommen- 

 ded made of bean's flour, rabbit's flic, bees wax, and mutton suet, 

 beat up together in a mortar, with a little clarified honey tempered 

 before the fire, and stained with vermilion. Baiting the ground 

 you intend to fish over a day or two previously, and keeping it 

 constantly baited in the interval will greatly enhance your chance 



* Griff, sup. to Cuv, Vol. 5, p. 455. 

 t See sup. p. 214. 



