352 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



and a clean bright tail, are the best. The others do for ground 

 bait. Used for trout, salmon, barbel, bream, and chub. 



The Dock or Flag Worm. This is a pretty little worm, found 

 in the roots of flags, but as the red worm answers exactly the 

 same purpose, is very similar to it, and is not a tithe of the 

 trouble to obtain, I need not enter upon any special directions 

 in reference to it. 



The Blood Worm. This little worm is rather a larva than a 

 worm,* and is found at the bottom of stagnant pools in vast 

 qauntities, so much so as at times quite to colour the bottom. 

 It is said to be an infallible bait for roach. I have never tried 

 it, as it seems to me, from its extremely small size and slender 

 proportions, next to impossible to get it on a hook at all ; 

 however, as report notes it as a good bait for roach, I quote the 

 report for what it is worth. 



The Meal Worm. This is not a worm either, being a grub or 

 larva ; indeed, it is the larva of a beetle, the scientific name of 

 which is Tenebrio molitor. It is very abundant in mills and 

 such places as large stores of flour and meal are kept in. It is a 

 capital bait for trout, and no doubt for many other fish. There 

 is no bait equal to it for a nightingale, so the bird-fanciers say, 

 but this is a branch of angling I have not much knowledge of. 

 They keep easily in a little flour, and need no scouring. 



Gentles or Maggots. These are bred from almost any putre- 

 fying animal matter. They are the larvae of various flies. The 

 best are those which are bred in bullock's liver ; and the plan is 

 to take a piece of liver, slash it about with a knife, and hang it 

 up in the sun. The large blow-flies collect upon it and lay their 

 eggs in the crevices. When it appears sufficiently blown, it 

 should be taken down and put into a tub or pan, and kept out 

 of the way of cats or birds. In a few days the eggs hatch into 

 maggots. A few handfuls of bran are then added to the liver to 

 keep it cool. In a few more days the maggots will have fed 

 themselves up to their full size. They then require to be 

 removed into another pan or tub half-full of bran, and only a 

 few scraps of the liver left with them to feed on. As soon as 

 they lose the dark spot, which before they are scoured appears 

 in the middle of them, and assume a bright yellowish colour, 

 they are scoured and fit for the hook. They should always be 

 kept in the coolest possible place, with plenty of air and 

 ventilation, or they will soon turn to chrysalids. These in turn 

 hatch into flies, and the reader should be careful to empty his 



* The name applies to the larvae of several species of Chironomus. 



