TROUT RIVER AND LAKE MINNOW-SPINNING. 129 
“tail triangle,” and therefore the only material of which 
the link can be made, if it is to be of any use, is gut— 
single or twisted, the latter being the better of the two. 
The bait which finds most general favour is a Bleak, 
which from its shape and glittering scaling has a light and 
brilliant effect in the water. If a Minnow is used, it 
should not be a small one, and in this case the flight 
already described under the head of “ Minnow-spinning” 
may be substituted with advantage. The Thames 
Trout. fisher will often find, however, that he will kill 
more fish with the fly, especially amongst the rough 
water and foam of the weirs, than with a spinning bait. 
The fly for this purpose should be large and gaudy, so as 
to show upthrough the foam. The “ gold” fly described 
in the chapter on Salmon fishing (and Plate, p. 88) dressed 
on a very small-sized grilse hook—say a No. 13 of my 
sizes, will be found as killing a fly as any for this purpose. 
For fishing the quieter parts of the stream, a much 
smaller fly is required, and for this purpose either of the 
Trout flies already described can be advantageously 
. used. Thames Trout frequently run as large as 10 lbs. ; 
specimens of 15 lbs., and even larger, not being by any 
means unknown. The season begins on the Ist of 
April, and ends on the Ioth of September, 
