164 Insect-Bait Fishing. 



gut, so that the bait may trundle along the bottom. 

 Grub is fished in the same manner, places, and con- 

 ditions of water as the worm. 



Even to many anglers who are not too nice to 

 foul their fingers, this bait presents such a forbid- 

 ding appearance, that no assurance of its deadly 

 nature, however well grounded, will ever overcome 

 their disinclination to use it. Many fishers on the 

 Clyde, however, have of late been in the habit of 

 employing it, to the exclusion of every other kind 

 of bait, but the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient 

 supply pretty effectually prevents its general use. 

 Indeed, to ensure a stock for a day's fishing, the 

 angler would require to spend the previous day in 

 collecting them. This, of course, is inconvenient, 

 and would not suit every one. 



And now, with the quaint and cautious remark 

 of Cotton to his disciple, we may conclude all that 

 need be said of insect-bait fishing: "There are 

 several other baits besides these few I have named 

 you, which also do very great execution at the bot- 

 tom, and some that are peculiar to certain countries 

 and rivers, of which every angler may in his own 

 place make his own observation ; and some others 

 that I do not think fit to put you in mind of, be- 

 cause I would not corrupt you, but would have 

 you, as in all things else I observe you to be, a 

 very honest gentleman a fair angler." 



