PASTE-ROE. 103 



pressure and some measure of heat, not exceeding in 

 general 80 or 90 degrees. By this means, in the course 

 of a few hours, it is rendered sufficiently tough for use, 

 and when required to be prepared in a shorter period, 

 the operator has only to expose it to a higher pressure 

 and a greater degree of heat. In curing roe in the 

 leaf, saltpetre is sometimes employed, with the view of 

 heightening its colour. I would recommend, however, 

 that this ingredient be used very sparingly, as its flavour 

 is by no means palatable to the fish, nor, indeed, are its 

 effects in improving the natural colour of the bait other- 

 wise than doubtful. 



There are two modes of preparing pastes from the 

 salmon-roe. The one I generally adopt is the least 

 tedious, and although the ingredient produced from it is 

 not so equal or thoroughly mixed up and broken as 

 that of the other, it possesses all, and to spare, of its 

 attractive virtues, being a compound of the bead and 

 paste, and on this account insinuating itself into the 

 good graces of bull-trout and whitling, which species of 

 fish, I have generally experienced to be the case, give a 

 preference to unbroken, over finely reduced roe. The 

 following is the method I observe in preparing it: 

 After cleansing, I proceed to break down thelaaf, sepa- 

 rating, as I do so, the beads and pellets from tiif films 

 to which they are attached. I then tkrow over tSem a 

 quantity of fine salt, in the proportion kxf three, r four 

 ounces or upwards to every pound of roe' * a*n 3. stirring 

 the mixture with the hand, incorporate all thoroughly. 

 I also squeeze together and occasion to burst several 

 handfuls of the beads, in order that, thus expressed, 

 their adhesive contents may operate in binding and 

 giving consistency to those left intact. This process 

 concluded, I transfer the whole mass to a tin cullender, 



