and Dace, where he is confined to one spot, must sit down, a piece of coarse woollen cloth, doubled two or three times, may be carried in the pannier, and used for this purpose.

In common Angling, never go into the water without Boots that are thoroughly water-proof; for although in Trout or Gudgeon fishing they are by that means more numerously caught, (particularly the latter, by going into the Stream and stirring up the sand and gravel with the feet,) the practice is pernicious to the Constitution, from the exercise being too trivial to preserve the proper circulation. The Compiler has been for many hours together in extreme cold weather in the water, without feeling any ill effects, but then it was net-fishing, when the Exercise kept the whole body in exertion and warmth. Nor should the Angler ever drink cold water whilst he is warm; Thirst is very erroneously supposed to be abated, by swallowing small liquors _in large quantities: without the desire to commend the frequent use of Spirits, yet a little Brandy * will more safely and effectually allay his drought, than resorting to Beverages more grateful to the Palate at the moment of taking them.

Baits.

We will next consider the Baits, which it is necessary the Angler should know where to procure, and how to keep alive; of course they are numerous, and are concisely mentioned in the engraved Table for Baits, but will be here enlarged upon.

Those that are natural, and such as fish are accustomed to feed upon, are certainly to be preferred; and of these Worms are the most so, under water. The various sorts should be well scoured before using; to effect which purpose, and also to preserve them healthy, the following methods may be adopted: and it should be noted, that the Lob, Marsh, and Redworm, will bear more scouring than any others, and are better for long keeping.

Get a parcel of Cow or Horse-hair, and cut it five or six inches long into a pan, throw the Worms upon it, and in a couple of hours they will have cleared themselves from the chief of their dirt; take them from amongst the hair, observing that none of it sticks to them, and select out the dead or wounded worms: clean the pan from the hair and filth, and put the worms into it, covering them with garden mould about an inch thick: they will keep a very long time in this manner, moistening the mould once a day with new milk, and changing it every Month, to prevent the growth of young worms, which would occasion the death and decay of the old.

Worms can be well scoured in Moss, (the best sort

is that which grows on heaths, being soft and white, and when gathered will be clear and free from earth at the roots,) that has been well washed and cleaned from dirt, and wrung very dry: both moss and worms should be put into an earthen pot, stopped close enough to hinder the latter from crawling out; the pot should stand cool in Summer, and out of the reach of frost in Winter: the more Moss made use of, and the oftener it is changed, or at least taken from them and well washed from their dirt, and wrung dry before again put to them, the longer will the worms live, as they cannot bear being exposed to the air.

Another way of scouring worms, but requiring more attendance, is with a piece of very coarse cloth or hop-sack: wash it clean and let it dry, then wet it in the liquor wherein fresh fat beef has been boiled, (for salt will kill the worms,) and wring it nearly dry; put the worms in this cloth, and lay them in an earthen pot from morning until night, then take them from the cloth, wash it from the dirt they have left, and again wet it in some of the liquor; by doing this daily worms may be kept in health, and perfectly fit for use, for nearly a month.

Amongst the old recipes for scouring worms, the putting them into a powder got from a dead Man's Skull, by beating it to atoms, was deemed super

excellent.

When worms are wanted for immediate use, and no provision has been made, the way to scour them quickly is, if Lob-worms, to put them all night in water; Brandlings must not remain above one hour

in it, and both sorts must be then put with fennel into the Angler's worm-bag.

The LOB-WORM, (in some places called the Dew, the Garden-worm, or the Twatchel,) is of two sorts, the old, knotted, the young, without knots, and by some persons, for distinction sake, are called Maidenlobs, and by others Red-worms; the latter kind, with a red head, a streak down the back, and a broad tail, (from which, in some countries, they are called squirrel tails,) is the best. Lob-worms are dug up in fallow fields, old gardens, and by the sides of ditches and drains; but they are most plentifully found and caught in the night after heavy showers, by the help of a candle and lantern, on grass walks and sheep pastures, where the herbage is short; he who seeks them must move cautiously, without noise, or they will quickly retreat into the Earth; draw them gently out of their holes without nipping, those that sever in taking must be thrown away, as they will soon become putrid, and infect the others; when so many are collected as are wanted, having plenty of good moss freed from dirt, dip it into clean water and wring it nearly dry, put it into an earthen pot, proportioned to the quantity of worms, laying it regular, and forcing it down with the hands, strew the worms on the surface, after dipping them in clear cold water, to rid them of the soil that may adhere to them, such as are not injured will soon bury themselves in the moss, and those that do not must the next morning be picked off as useless; they must be inspected every three or four days, the dead ones removed, and have fresh moss, or that wherein

they have been kept well washed and picked, and the water squeezed out, at least once a week; they must be so placed Summer and Winter, as to be safe from the extremity of the weather at both Seasons. In a week's time they will be fit for use, and upon the Angler coming home from fishing, he will return from his worm-bag into the pot those which he has not used. In observing the above carefully, they may be kept a month in Summer, particularly by now and then giving them, drop by drop upon the moss, a small quantity of new milk and the yolk of an egg well beaten together, and warmed so as to thicken it: but when a stock of lob-worms is meant to be retained for a considerable length of time, a large vessel must be filled half or three quarters full of good mould, in the middle of which is to be placed some moss or old coarse linen cloths, hopsack, or rags wetted; in hot, dry weather clean water must be sprinkled upon the earth with a watering pot, so as to keep them moist but not wet: they may thus be preserved as long as is requisite; and a week before angling what are wanted may be drawn from the store, and put into moss to scour themselves.

Lob-worms, that by crawling about the grass lands have lost their holes, when they meet a drop of Cow or Horse-dung, will creep under and there remain, (with their heads only, about an inch out of the ground,) so long as it contains moisture sufficient to protect them from the intense heat; this situation changes their Colour, particularly about the head, to a dark purple, and which appearance has induced