PRESERVING GENTLES. 251 



best by keeping them in a cool place in a roomy 

 vessel furnished with wet sand. Exposure to the 

 sun's heat soon spoils them. Mr. Elaine says, 

 " When the angler takes gentles with him for 

 several days' use, he should inclose them in a 

 wide tin with wet sand, and place them with 

 every advantage of being kept as cool as possible ; 

 if he can lower the vessel down a well, to within 

 a few yards of the water, his end will be fully 

 gained. Some of the gentles may be previously 

 separated from the rest, and placed in bran, or in 

 oatmeal, for immediate use. When a pretty long 

 expedition is meditated, as one of two or three 

 weeks, the gentles selected should be of two sorts, 

 some fully evolved, and others green, as it is 

 termed, that is, hardly full grown : two days' 

 keeping in bran in a warm situation is sufficient 

 scouring for the former ? to the latter a thin slice 

 of beef or mutton, or a small fish, may be put in 

 the moistened sand. The vessel in which these 

 are kept should, of course, be placed in a cool but 

 not in such an intensely cold situation as the 

 well; as the gentles from this store become full 

 and plump, they may be removed to the other for 

 scouring." 



It is a common and well-founded opinion that 

 barbel and chub prefer green gentles. Roach, 

 dace, and bream like ripe well-scoured gentles 

 best. Mr. Daniel, in his " Rural Sports," cau- 



