THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 71 



way, for if anything will tempt them to feed, 

 i it is that bait. It is not, however, followed by 

 I many, because it is considered rather a messy 

 affair ; people do not like to meddle with 

 brains, any more than they like their brains 

 meddled with. We shall not, therefore, be 

 very particular in our description of that 

 method of fishing, but merely say, that the 

 brains should be boiled, cut up, and mixed 

 well with fine gravel, or sand, and thus thrown 

 into the water for ground-bait ; and the hook 

 baited with a nice round, solid piece ; or you 

 may use for the hook, what is much to be 

 preferred, a piece of the pith from the back- 

 bone, which will keep on the hook much 

 better. With this bait they are sometimes 

 taken of very good size. In the spring they 

 are taken in some waters with a large ground 

 grub, which is found under the grass; or 

 that found in gardens, which is a great de- 

 stroyer of young lettuce plants, &c., is preferred 

 by them; or they will, in some waters, take 

 freely a scarlet coloured paste; or, like the 

 barbel and other fish, at that season of the 

 year, they will take a worm. But they are 

 seldom fished for then, expressly. In the 

 summer, they get on the shallows, and are 



