GKUB BAITS. 49 



placed in a little chopped horse-hair. After an hour or two 

 they may be dusted with finely-powdered bole Armenian 

 and a little alum, and then placed in a bag with moss, im- 

 pregnated with the same mixtures'. . 



Scouring renders worms tough and lively on the hook. 

 Dead worms are utterly valueless as baits. 



7. Tlie maggot or gentle is an excellent bait for roach, 

 dace, carp, bream, and chub in the summer and autumn 

 months. They are procured in large towns at the fishing- 

 tackle shops, and in the country a supply can generally be 

 procured at the tallow chandler's. Perhaps the best for 

 angling purposes that can be procured are those obtained 

 by hanging some animal substance, such as a sheep's head 

 or buUock's liver, in a place where flies abound, and whep 

 it is fuUy blown, place it in a tub half full of bran and 

 sand for the maggots to scour and clean themselves. They 

 are scoured and made tough by keeping them for three or 

 four days in a; mixture of sand, meal, and bran. They 

 must be kept in a cool place, in a vessel filled with wet 

 sand away from the rays of the sun. If gentles are wanted 

 in the winter the same process must be followed in the 

 latter part of November, and when the piece of meat or 

 game is well blown it is laid in a tub or long box, (the 

 latter is best,) half-filled with dry pulverized cow-dung and 

 sifted mould moistened. The same compost is sifted over the 

 carcass, and gradually pressed down. The box may be 

 then buried in the earth, or placed in a cool situation. 

 The gentles can be taken from one end of the box without 

 disturbing the others. When turned into the chrysalis state, 

 they are useful for ground-bait, and sometimes roach will 

 bite at them. The gentles obtained at a knacker's or bone 

 boiler's are nasty things, and should only be used as 



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