THE BAIT TABLE. 



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 gentle-box when he 

 has done with it, or he may when opening it on his next 

 fishing-day be assailed by a cloud of huge blow-flies. The 

 chrysalis is a favourite bait at times with the roach, but 

 it is rather tender on the hook. Carrion and other 

 gentles are mostly used for ground-bait, and require no 

 scouring. They are obtained from knackers' yards, 

 butchers, or tallow melters, &c., &c. Some of the larger 

 kinds may at times be used for hook bait, but they are all 

 inferior to the liver gentles. Gentles may, by being 

 buried in an earthenware vessel, be kept far into the 

 winter. Be careful to keep the gentles in a dry vessel, 

 as, if the sides be wet, they can and will creep away ; also, 

 be sure that your tub, if you use one, be sound, as no 

 crevice is too small for them to force their way through. 



Almost all fresh-water fish take maggots freely ; notably 

 roach, dace, barbel, bream, gudgeon, &c. ; they are much 

 affected too by trout and grayling. 



Greaves or Scratchings is the refuse skin, &c., from the 

 tallow-melters ; it is made into hard cakes, and must be 

 partially broken up and scalded before used. It is a 

 capital bait for chub, roach, and dace, the whitest and 

 toughest pieces being used for the hook. 



Wasp Grub. This is a very killing bait for trout, 

 grayling, and dace, and indeed for almost any fish, but it 

 is too tender for the hook without some preparation. 

 Supposing the angler to have obtained a nest, let him 



