252 PRESERVING GENTLES FOR WINTER. 



tions anglers not to throw away gentles that are 

 on the turn from one state to another. Dace and 

 roach, he says, often prefer a turned and a fresh 

 gentle put on the hook together. Gentles used in 

 grayling fishing should be large, fresh, and well 

 scoured. 



Preserving gentles for the winter months. On 

 this subject Mr. Elaine writes with his usual sound 

 sense, remarking that "in the neighbourhood of 

 still and deep rivers the angler's winter roach fish- 

 ing chiefly depends on gentles ; and in the bends 

 and deeps of the more rapid rivers which afford 

 grayling, he is equally indebted to them for his 

 principal sport and his largest fish. In September 

 or October, the later the better, so that the parent 

 fly is yet abroad, which will much depend on the 

 season, (we have seen the flesh-fly active in the 

 early part of November,) allow either the carcass 

 of a fowl or rabbit, a sheep's head, or a portion of 

 liver, to be well blown. Procure a butter tub, or, 

 in preference, a stout long elm box (our own was 

 one foot wide, one foot and a half deep, and three 

 feet long) ; into some such vessel put sifted mould 

 moistened and mixed with dried and pulverised 

 cow-dung. With this mixture half fill the box, 

 and press it down very lightly. Put the carcass 

 and the blown gentles together into it, strewing 

 them over with some of the same compost : as the 

 mass sinks, fill it up with the same, and press it at 



