BAITS. 241 



ground-baiting ; but it is not a bait with which I can say I 

 have ever had much success. 



Boiled Rice is probably the best ground-bait for minnows, 

 bran for bleak, and gentles for roach and dace. By only bearing 

 this in mind much trouble will be saved in procuring supplies 

 of live bait with the casting-net. A stillish curve or eddy of 

 the river about two feet deep will be found the best description 

 of water for the application of this principle of baiting and for 

 using the casting-net effectually. 



As a 'ground-bait ' for perch, my friend, Mr. Jesse, informed 

 me some years ago that a tolerably clear glass vessel filled with 

 minnows, and with a wire covering over it, sunk to the bottom 

 of a pond or river, proves a most enticing, and, of course, long- 

 lasting ground-bait for fish. I can imagine that the exaspera- 

 tion of fruitlessly rubbing their noses against the bottle will 

 make them go considerably for the real minnow when offered 



to them. 



Worse than Tantalus was their annoy 

 To clip Elysium and to lack their joy. 



Somebody else has lately written that a bottle of bright 

 coloured flowers has a singularly seductive effect upon the fish- 

 appetite, or curiosity, whichever it may be. Enthusiasts with 

 more leisure than I have may perhaps be inclined to try the ex- 

 periment. The bottle must, of course, be anchored in some way, 

 and for the purpose might, perhaps, as well be filled with water, 

 which would keep the flowers alive for a time at any rate. 



To sum up : as a general rule to which, of course, the above 

 are exceptions the rationale of ground-baiting is that the bait 

 used on the ground should be of the same description as, but 

 of inferior quality to that used on the hook. 



Another hint. After ground-baiting for the next day, or a 

 subsequent campaign, plumb the exact depth and have the tackle 

 all ready arranged so that it may not be necessary to disturb 

 the water when the fishing actually commences. No fish are 

 likely to swallow the plummet and many may probably be scared 

 by it. 



II. R 



