MINNOW AND WORM 147 



trout that saw it over two miles or more of water. 

 I had a most optimistic report of half-pounders, 

 and better, to make in the evening. But I was not 

 able to produce any in proof, for of all the good fish 

 that followed or came up at my minnow I did not 

 land one. One or two were just pricked, and that 

 was all. If I had had any real minnows I might 

 not have seen so many trout, but I am pretty sure 

 I should not have had quite a blank. 



Mountain trout take an artificial minnow better 

 when the water is decidedly coloured. A gold 

 minnow in a porter-water is sometimes extremely 

 effective. And, where it is allowed, it may be very 

 useful then, because as a rule the porter-water 

 means that there has been a yellow flood, and that 

 the trout, gorged with worms, are indifferent to 

 flies. The bright little spinning bait stirs them up. 



Fancy in types of bait must be largely determined 

 by accident. I happen to have done best with the 

 Devon minnow in one of its forms, so I depend on 

 it more than on anything else. I do not remember 

 ever killing a trout on a Phantom, though I know 

 quite well that some men find it all that they need. 

 And on the other hand I have never killed a salmon 

 on a Devon, though I have done pretty well with 

 the Phantom. Which shows how oddly things may 

 turn out for the individual. Probably the reason 

 in my case is that I do not find a Phantom revolve 



