230 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



GENTLES AND PASTE. 



It has been stated by a roach fisherman of experience that 

 the gentles or maggots the larvae of the blue-bottle obtained 

 from fish offal are finer, and appear to be preferred as bait to 

 those obtained from the liver of the sheep or bullock. Those 

 who are very ' nice ' about such matters can easily satisfy them- 

 selves of the accuracy of the assertion by a trial. Fiat experi- 

 mentum in corpore vili ! Whatever be the source from which 

 gentles are obtained, they should be placed in moist sand to 

 scour and toughen, and get rid of a pinky-brown discoloured 

 patch which they have when first taken out of the offal. In 

 this way they will keep fresh and in good order for several days. 

 In the winter months, if it is desired to keep them for any 

 considerable period, the plan commonly recommended is to 

 put them into a large-mouthed bottle, such as a pickle jar, 

 about two-thirds full of earth, the bottle being corked up and 

 placed in a cellar or other cool situation. 



The best way of baiting with gentles I generally find is to 

 completely cover the shank of the hook with the first gentle 

 run on longitudinally, then to put on transversely one, two, or 

 three more according to the size of the hook, and the last one 

 again longitudinally so as to cover the barb and point. 



Carrion gentles, as they are called, are much smaller and 

 proportionally nastier than liver gentles ; they can be used, 

 however, when the latter cannot be obtained, but the purpose 

 to which they are most commonly put is that of ground-baiting. 

 In all gentle-fishing it will be found a great convenience to 

 have a bait-box, something in shape like a miniature water 

 can, with a tray at the mouth into which the gentles are 'poured ' 

 instantly when required for baiting, and from which they at once 

 fall back again into the can when done with. The can itself is 

 attached to the button hole by a string. 



Most authors mention paste. I find that the best paste is 

 made from the crumb of a new loaf worked as follows : Place 



