CHAPTER IX 



PRAWNING AND WORM FISHING 



THE prawn undoubtedly forms part of 

 the natural food of the salmon, and is 

 a diet for which they show a decided 

 preference, if we may judge by the free manner 

 in which they will often take it when it is pre- 

 sented. Of all deadly baits which may be used 

 for salmon, the prawn has the precedence. They 

 will take it in all states of the water, whether 

 high or low, dark or clear ; and in summer, when 

 the water is very low and clear, it is often the 

 only bait which can be successfully used. 



Prawns are preserved in the following manner. 

 Boil them in strong salt and water, to which has 

 been added a little saltpetre to give brilliancy of 

 colour. When they turn red, they are sufficiently 

 cooked. They should then be dried, and placed 

 in a glass jar with glycerine. They may also 

 be preserved in their natural colour, simply by 

 salting and packing closely. Why we should 

 make them red, when in their natural state they 

 are not so, is a question difficult to answer, and 

 it may be that they are better simply salted. 



114 



