118 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



staple bait. Wasp grabs are a good autumn bait, and red worms are often 

 a capital lure. As for ground bait, I know of none better than that 

 advocated by Mr. Mechi, who is as good an angler as an agriculturist. 

 In the Field of 18th August, 1877, he says : " When fishing with 

 bread paste the best ground bait is a quantity of bread paste mixed with 

 a large quantity of bran, formed into balls larger than marbles. If there 

 is any current or stream, a small stone should be placed in them to sink 

 them to the bottom." For gentle fishing I usually ground bait with bran 

 the night beforehand, and simply when I fish throw in a few gentles from 

 time to time. I am persuaded that it is very common to over ground bait 

 and so satiate the fish you wish to take. 



Apropos of gentles I may here give my experience in breeding and 

 preserving them in winter, inasmuch as that they are a very useful, in 

 fact, indispensable, bait for roach, especially in late winter, when, owing 

 to frost, lob worms are not to be had. To breed and preserve gentles in 

 winter : Materials, a cast iron pan to hold 6 gallons (an earthen pot would 

 answer the same purpose), and a 2 gallon bottle with the bottom sawn off ; 

 these, placed in a cold out-of-the-way building, are all that is necessary, 

 except the breeding stuff. Fill the large receptacle, to within 2in. of 

 the top, with damp river sani or garden soil, and place the bottle (neck 

 downwards) on the top of the soil in the larger vessel. From the middle 

 of October to the latter end of November place offal in all the sheltered 

 and sunny spots where the blow-fly resorts. When the offal is sufficiently 

 blown, place it inside the bottle, and as it sinks down the bottle replace 

 it by fresh offal. Never let the gentles starve ; they will, however, find 

 their way down into the soil beneath, and can be there taken up when 

 wanted. 



. To prepare wasp grubs, also a splendidly killing bait in late summer : 

 Pick the grubs out of the comb and put them into a colander inside a 

 large basin ; then pour a large saucepan of boiling water over them 

 and stir with a spoon till, by the touch, they feel firm, then instantly 

 drain and throw them into a little bran and shake them till quite dry (for 

 on this success depends). They will be found very firm. If they are 

 placed on a plate or slab, and kept very cool and coated with honey, they 

 will keep well for weeks. 



I have taken bream galore with this bait also. The following are also 

 some good pastes, although, as before -tated, I believe in white bread paste 

 before anything else. 



Honeycomb Paste. Honeycomb mixed with flour and kneaded into a 

 paste is very good for roach in November. The wax renders the paste 

 very stiff. 



Red Paste. Take the crumb of a new loaf, well knead in the hand 



