SFJNNING AND BAIT FISHING. 399 



are as good as ever for the fly two or three hours after the 

 prawn has been over a pool. Those who say that it spoils the 

 fishing for the fly lose sight again of the fact that salmon stay 

 but a short time in any one part of a river, and that the fish that 

 have been fished over in one pool by one man with the prawn, 

 or any other bait, may, by the time the next man comes to the 

 water, have left that pool, whilst their place has been occupied 

 by a fresh run of fish. 



* Prawn fishing is a very pleasant dernier ressort. One never 

 need despair of bringing home a fish, and salmon will take it in 

 the lowest water and on the brightest and hottest days. 



' Prawns for use in the coming season should be got in 

 during the previous autumn, when they can be bought cheaper 

 than at any other time of the year. The fresher they are when 

 used, the better ; but if they are properly preserved they will 

 keep their colour very fairly and take almost as well six months 

 afterwards. They should be selected of different sizes, to be 

 used according to the state of the water. Those with spawn in 

 them are said to be the most killing, 



' The following is one of the commonest methods for preserv- 

 ing prawns : Put the prawns in a saucepan of water with a 

 handful of saltpetre, and boil them ; taking them out the moment 

 they turn colour. Then spread them on a cloth singly ; and when 

 they are quite dry, place them in layers in a wide-mouthed glass 

 or earthenware jar — as many as it will hold. Fill up to the 

 bung with glycerine ; cork the bottle and fasten the cork down, 

 if possible, with bladder covering, so as to exclude the air. 



' Another, and perhaps a better way, is to preserve in salt. 

 Fill an earthenware jar with prawns nearly to the top ; heap on 

 common salt, pouring water enough on it to dissolve it so as to 

 fill up the interstices ; continue until the jar is full, and secure 

 with a cork as before. Prawns preserved in salt last much 

 longer, and keep their colour better than when kept in glycerine. 

 They are also much tougher, which is a great advantage. 



' I have seen prawns in their natural state that have been 



