chalky lands, after rain, or in the morning, during the months of March or April; it is accounted a good bait for trout in cloudy weather, or when the water is muddy.

White grubs, or white bait, are much larger than gentles, and may be found in sandy and meadow lands.

In order to scour and preserve worms, you must procure some very fresh moss, wash away all particles of earth from it, and squeeze it, but not too dry; then put it into a jar and press it closely down, and place worms upon it.

Wasp-grubs may be taken from the nest; they require to be hardened in a warm oven, and will *prove a good bait for such fish as will take gentles. House crickets are good to dib with for chub.

Beetles are good also for chub; they may be found in cow dung.

Miller's thumbs, bleaks, minnows, dace, gudgeons, loaches, sticklebacks, smelts, and roach, are used as "baits for some of the larger fish.

Grasshoppers are good baits during June, July, and August, for roach, grayling, chub, and trout; their legs and wings must be taken off before they are put on the hook.

Salmon spawn is an excellent bait for trout and chub; you may purchase it at the shops ready for use; but if you wish to prepare it yourself, you must attend to the following instructions:

About September or October, purchase a pound of salmon spawn, boil it for a quarter of an hour, wash away the blood, and pick out all the pieces of skin; next add to it two ounces of salt and a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre, and bray them all up together in mortar; put it in little jars, and pour over it mutton suet melted; cover the mouths of the jars with pieces of bladder, and the spawn will be fit for use at any time, and may be kept for two years.

GROUND BAIT.

Ground baiting is a most essential part of angling and ought never to be omitted, as success in bottom or float fishing cannot be expected, unless the proper means for drawing the fish together are resorted to.

For barbel, it is necessary to make the lumps of ground bait large in proportion to the strength of the current in which you fish.

For carp, tench, eels, perch, and bream, fresh grains will be found very serviceable. They must be perfectly fresh, for if they have the slightest taint of sourness, the fish will not touch them.

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PASTE BAITS.

When working up paste baits, be particulary care ful to have clean hands, and knead your pastes thoroughly, so that all the materials may be well incorporated.

Sheeps' blood and saffron make a good paste for roach, bleak, &c.

For barbel, an excellent paste may be made by dipping the crumb of new white bread in the liquor in which chandlers' greaves has been boiled, adding a little of the greaves, and working it up till it is stiff.

Paste baits are not at all adapted for swift, running streams, but for quiet brooks, ponds, or very still rivers.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF FISH.

THE SALMON TROUT.

This is, perhaps, the most beautiful of all fish, whether we regard its elegant form or charming colours. Being a very strong fish, it affords much sport to the

angler, and compels him to use a rod, running tackle, and a cork float.

Trout are in season from March to October or November, and will take minnows, frogs, artificial and natural flies, snails, worms, caddis, salmon spawn, and paste.

Minnows are without doubt the most killing baits, and by them the largest fish are caught.

When fishing with a minnow, cast your bait lightly into the water, and draw it against the current, and when you use worms, you may let them drag on the bottom.

Do not strike the instant you feel a bite, but rather wait till two or three tugs have been made, and then try your skill.

The trout seldom bites during the day, unless it is dark, cloudy weather, with a stiff breeze blowing; the angler must therefore be at his post very early or very late.

This fish's favourite haunts are deep dark holes and eddies, mill tails, pools, the roots of trees, and below bridges and weirs.

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THE SMELT.

When fishing for smelts, a stiff and strong top to your rod is necessary, a gut line, heavy float, and ten

or twelve hooks, placed about eight or nine inches asunder; if the hooks are tied on a fine bristle they will stand out better from the line.

The best bait is a small piece of an eel, or one of its own genus, and the bottom hook should be allowed to touch the ground.

Smelts are frequently fished for without having a float on the line, by affixing a small piece of lead at the bottom, which you suffer to drag on the ground, and alternately raise and depress until you feel a bite; by this method, which is called dip-fishing, immense numbers may be taken very easily. The pieces of lead may be obtained at any tackle shop.

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THE STICKLEBACK.

This fish is seldom found more than two inches in length.

It thrives in all kinds of ditches and ponds, and may be easily taken by a little piece of worm; it is sometimes used as a bait for perch, and in tha case it should have the prickly back fin cut off.

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THE BULL-HEAD.

The bull-head is an ugly-looking little fish, which may be found in almost every river or brook; a small piece of worm is a good bait for it, and in its turn, it makes an excellent bait for pike or trout; as a fish for the table, it is not worth the trouble of taking.

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THE MINNOW.

This extremly beautiful little fish is found in most gravelly streams, and is in season from March till October.

Although in point of delicacy of flavour, it is equal

to any fish brought to table, its diminutive size seems to bar its appearance on the festal board, as it is seldom cooked.

As baits for other fish, minnows are highly prized by the angler, and the baits most tempting to them, are a blood worm, a piece of a red worm, a gentle, or a bit of paste bait; the tackle must be of the lightest description. They may be taken at any time of the day, and it is necessary to strike as soon as a bite is perceived.

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THE LOACH.

This is a somewhat scarce and very small fish, seldom exceeding four inches in length. It haunts the bottoms of small gravelly rivulets and brooks,» and may be taken at any time during summer with the tail end of a red worm. It makes au admirable bait for large eels, and should be used on the night » lines.

The bleak is found in most rivers; the best bait is a gentle, and it may be allowed to sink about a foot and half under the surface of the water. Use a No. 13 hook, a single horse hair line, and a very small quill float; frequently throw in a few gentles, or pieces of chewed bread as a ground bait, and strike the instant you perceive a bite. The bleak spawns in May, and is then out of season.

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THE GRAYLING.

Tho graying is an extremely beautiful fish, and inhabits most of the clear, rapid rivers which have a candy or gravelly bottom, and its favourite haunts are the sides of the stream.