184 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



in the river or lake at the end of a string, to the 

 great benefit of the fish inside it, especially in hot 

 weather. Left in the can standing under a hot sun, 

 they would soon die. Such a can is most useful in 

 a large size, say, i4in. long, and it will cost some- 

 where about 8s. 6d. or a little more. There are 

 other kinds of can which answer the purpose well 

 enough, and on occasion I have pressed a bucket or 

 a watering-pot into service. So long as the utensil 

 will hold water and keep the baits alive, it matters 

 little what one uses. 



Having a bait-can and little fish within it, one 

 may angle for trout, pike, and perch, and occa- 

 sionally catch chub into the bargain. For trout the 

 method is not very much employed, except in the 

 Thames and by an occasional angler in other rivers. 

 Where trout will take a fly it is easily understood 

 that other lures are not encouraged, and where 

 they will not spinning (which is dealt with later) is 

 just as likely to catch them as live-baiting, besides 

 being more artistic work. There are, however, 

 cases in which one cannot spin, and anglers who 

 cannot learn the knack of it, so a few words about 

 live-baiting may not be amiss, especially as what is 

 said applies in the main not only to trout, but also 

 to perch, for which live-baiting is everywhere a 

 reputable pursuit. The novice's bottom-fishing rod 



