24 THE AMERICAN TROUT. 
in my experience is more useful, unbaited, for catching 
snapping mackerel, young blue-fish, than for any other 
purpose. There are the gangs of hooks, consisting of 
two or more small hooks back to back, one of which 
is inserted in the side or back of the bait, with another 
small one farther up on the line, which is inserted on 
the lip or nose. It answers well for some kinds of fishing, 
and for large bait, but does not work well with small 
fish. The bait is not bent sufficiently, and does not spin 
readily. 
Then there is the old-fashioned large single hook, 
thrust through the mouth, down the fleshy part of the 
back and out at the side, or out at the gills and back 
through the mouth into the side. The objection is that 
bait is apt to work down on the bend of the hook, or 
the trout is apt to take off the tail of the bait without 
being hooked. 
The other, and I think the best plan of baiting with 
dead bait, is the same as the last, with tlie addition of a 
small hook to thrust through the nose, that tends to 
retain the fish in its place, and allow the hook to be car- 
ried down further toward the tail, and still make the bait 
spin well. Minnow is never properly baited, unless it 
spins freely wdth every motion of the rod, and it must 
ever be kept moving. Of course the line must be armed 
with the swivel-trace, and in baiting with dead minnow 
a Limerick hook should be used, under any other circum- 
stances never. 
The dead minnow is preferable for rapid water. In 
ponds the minnow should be alive, in which case the 
hook is to be inserted in front of the dorsal fin, and the 
