120 OX PRESERVING BAITS. 



seem to have an instinctive knowledge of the fate awaiting; 

 them, and to be resolved to defeat your object. At the 

 best, valuable time is wasted ; while, as for the hypothesis 

 affecting Jack, Bob, or Tom, it never comes true when 

 you most want it to do so ; unless, therefore, you are quite 

 sure of a good supply of bait, take what you require. 



If you are going to live-bait, a large can will be requisite 

 to convey the fish alive to the river. These may be had 

 of all sizes at the tackle-makers, and if it be a long 

 journey and warm weather, there will be much difficulty 

 in keeping them alive. 1 A small pair of bellows. 

 will greatly aid this, for by putting the nozzle to the 

 bottom of the water, and blowing it two or three times, 

 the water is aerated afresh, to the great reviving of 

 the fish. If, however, spinning be the object, you may 

 much simplify matters by getting a supply of dead baits.* 

 These may be preserved in various ways, by being either 

 salted or, if the weather be cool, simply put into a box of 

 bran if they are not required to be kept too long, or by- 

 painting them over with glycerine, or by putting a number 

 into a widish-mouthed bottle full of spirits of some kind.- 

 The last-named method keeps the baits well, and their 

 colour is as brilliant as in their natural condition, while 

 they are rendered so tough that they will stand much 

 more wear and tear. Take out of the bottle as many a& 

 may be required for the day, and if they are not used they 

 can be returned to the bottle again. The angler should 

 keep .up his stock by adding fresh baits occasionally. 



We will now suppose that the weighty matters of 

 choosing a tackle, fixing and baiting it, are concluded. 

 Let the angler, if standing on the bank of a river or pond,. 



1 In cold winter weather baits will travel by rail a long distance without 

 requiring much attention. There is a useful little apparatus in the shape 

 of a compressible indiarubber ball and a gutta-percha tube, for aerating 

 the water in a bait-can. 



