BAITS AND BAIT-CATCHING. 45 



The first improvement was the addition of a second, or 

 internal, can, consisting of a movable zinc grating with a sepa- 

 rate handle, by which the extraction and selection of the baits 

 were vastly simplified. This appliance effects a great saving of 

 time, besides avoiding the probability, as someone observes, of 

 poking out the bait's eyes with the operator's thumb-nail. 



Another step in advance for which I rather think I may 

 be myself possibly entitled to the credit was the addition of a 

 double lid, and the construction of the bait-can pannier-shape^ 

 so that it could be carried by a strap, like an ordinary creel, 

 over the trailer's shoulder when fishing alone. 



The most important point in a live-bait can being, of course, 

 that it should be so constructed as to keep the bait alive, the 

 double lid was a move in the right direction. It had the effect, 

 at any rate, of keeping out the sun and keeping in the water. 

 The absence of a second lid often causes or accelerates the 

 death of the baits in hot weather. When the weather is cold 

 its presence will preserve the legs of the carrier from a perpetual 

 sprinkling of half-frozen water. The convenience of being able 

 to carry the bait-can in the manner described should, I think, 

 be appreciated by those who do much pike-fishing without an 

 attendant. It makes, in fact, in many cases the entire difference 

 between comfort and discomfort. Carried in the trailer's hand, 

 the choice lies between, on the one side, stopping fishing and 

 carrying the can along with him, or, on the other, of leaving 

 the can behind and continuing fishing. In the latter case the 

 whole of the river bank has to be traversed three times, once 

 backwards and twice forwards. 



My can, which is figured in several previous essays, can be 

 comfortably carried without much inconvenience, and relieves 

 the angler from the choice between Scylla and Charybdis. Its 

 effect, too, as an auxiliary to aeration, in other words as a 

 bubble-distributor, is also not to be overlooked. 



As regards the double or interior bait-can, I am sorry I am 

 unable to give ' honour where honour is due ' for this very 

 excellent invention, but I do not know who it was that first 



