5 4 MINNOW-FISHING. 



a fresh minnow is impaled by means of a baiting 

 needle on a long- shanked bait hook heavily 

 leaded, the needle being entered at the mouth, 

 and brought out at the tail, so that the leaded 

 shank of the hook is concealed in the belly, 

 whilst the bend projects. 



A better plan is to use a triangle with three or 

 four split shot on the line above it. The tail is 

 trimmed off or not according to taste, and a loop 

 of the gut passed round the thin part to keep the 

 bait straight. The minnow is then carefully 

 dropped into any deep hole or eddy close to the 

 side, and allowed to dart of its own weight to the 

 bottom, or near it ; then it is slowly drawn up a 

 foot or so, and this process is continued until all 

 the edges of the hole have been thoroughly 

 searched. This plan is very deadly in hot sultry 

 weather and during floods. It is a method well 

 fitted for deep running, sluggish waters, with 

 cavernous banks. 



There is yet another way of using the minnow 

 exactly like clear-water worm-fishing. In this 

 method rippling streams only are fished, the 

 smallest and brightest of minnows being impaled 

 on a medium (No. 4 or 5) round-bend hook. A 

 long rod and the finest of gut are necessary ; the 

 minnow is cast like a fly ; and drawn gently down 

 stream past all likely spots. The best time for 

 this method is hot dry weather during July and 



