86 The North Country Angle?. 



places have generally plenty of minnows in them ; 

 which is one good reason why the trouts will 

 stay in such undisturbed places, and do not go 

 down to the rivers. When I have observed a 

 few little pools, with hollow banks, or bushes 

 hanging over them, I prepared tackling fit for 

 them, and the fish I expected to he in them. I 

 have got a hank of small twine, and cut it into 

 lengths of a yard, and made a little loop at each 

 end; about a hundred of these I have tied in a bunch 

 ready for use : I then took a hundred plaits of six 

 hairs in a plait, at the thick ends of which I 

 wrapped on a little strong hook, and made a 

 loop at the other end, wrapping it neatly with 

 waxed silk : I always baited with minnow, if I 

 had time to catch them, if not, I always have 

 a bag of well scoured worms. When I use 

 minnows I bait with a needle, and loop it on to 

 the loop of the twine.* The next thing I take 

 care for is, a hundred rods of about two feet, or a 

 yard long, of willow, hazle, or what grows near 

 the beck : the thick end of these I sharpen ; at 

 the small end there is a knot, or something to 

 keep the loop of the twine from slipping off it 

 when a, fish pulls : I drop in my bait in a likely 

 place, and stick the end of the rod in the bank 

 side, under water, if I can. 



By laying lines in this manner, you may take 

 all the fish that are in such places, at three or 

 four times settin 



I have sometimes seen a little beck, where 

 the water has run very poorly : after I have 

 made a sod dam> I set in my little rods \ and 



