BAITS 353 



gentle-box when he has done with it, or he may when opening 

 it on his next fishing-day be assailed by a cloud of huge blow- 

 flies. The chrysalis is a favourite bait at times with the roach, 

 but it is rather tender on the hook. Carrion and other gentles 

 are mostly used for ground-bait, and require no scouring. 

 They are obtained from knackers' yards, butchers, or tallow 

 melters, etc. etc. Some of the larger kinds may at times be 

 used for hook bait, but they are all inferior to the liver gentles. 

 Gentles may, by being buried in an earthenware vessel, be kept 

 far into the winter. Be careful to keep the gentles in a dry 

 vessel, as, if the sides be wet, they can and will creep away ; 

 also, be sure that your tub, if you use one, be sound, as no 

 crevice is too small for them to force their way through. 



Almost all fresh-water fish take maggots freely ; notably 

 roach, dace, barbel, bream, gudgeon, etc. ; they are much 

 affected too by trout and grayling. 



Greaves or Scratchings is the refuse skin, etc. from the 

 tallow melters ; it is made into hard cakes, and must be 

 partially broken up and scalded before use. It is a capital bait 

 for chub, roach, and dace, the whitest and toughest pieces being 

 used for the hook. 



Wasp Grub. This is a very killing bait for trout, grayling, 

 and dace, and indeed for almost any fish, but it is too tender 

 for the hook without some preparation. Supposing the angler 

 to have obtained a nest, let him break off all the grubs which 

 are uncovered, and with the embryo wasps put them aside for 

 ground bait. The comb is then to be put into a jar, and that 

 into hot water, and steamed until the grubs are tough enough, 

 taking care that no water gets to the comb. Some prefer to 

 bake them instead. Either plan answers well enough. 



Cockchafer and Beetle Grubs. These large grubs are fre- 

 quently found when turning up the garden soil, turf, cow 

 droppings, or under old half-dried dung heaps. They should 

 be served as the wasp grub to toughen them. It is difficult, 

 however, to get enough of them to make a point of fishing with 

 them. They are first-rate bait for chub. 



Caddis or Cadbait. This little insect, which is the larva of 

 various water-flies, is found at the bottom of streams. Its 

 body being soft and easily damaged, nature has prompted it to 

 make a defence in the shape of a case which it provides for 

 itself. This case is smooth in the inside, and is composed on 

 the outside of minute sticks, or bits of gravel and other matters 

 and upon any alarm it retires within it. It is about the size of, 



