70 THE TROVER'S GUIDE. 



less liable to catch hold of weeds, or any thing else that 

 might displace the hooks or disfigure the bait ; and again, 

 the hooks being so much hid and out of the way, by 

 being within the bait's mouth, and the gimp coming from 

 the tail, there is nothing to check the Jack or Pike when 

 they are changing the bait to pouch ; for it is well known 

 that those fish generally seize the bait in the first instance, 

 across its body, afterwards changing its position, and 

 swallow or pouch it, head foremost; consequently, while 

 so doing, the gimp and hooks in most other baits are liable 

 to offend or create fear and suspicion in the fish, and the 

 bait is then frequently blown or dropped out of its mouth 

 instead of being pouched : I have known instances where 

 a dozen trimmers have been laid at a distance of twenty 

 yards apart, each trimmer baited with a choice live-bait> 

 and after remaining many hours in the water neither of 

 them have been touched ; I have then trolled between them 

 with the gorge, and have had runs and killed my fish : 

 some anglers think that cutting off all the fins of the bait 

 fish for the gorge hook disfigures it, but Jack or Pike are 

 indifferent about it, and it certainly is the best method, 

 particularly as it keeps the bait from catching or hanging 

 on weeds, and the bait also spins better when the fins are 

 all cut close away; in consequence I cut away all the fins, 

 but leave the tail on. 



From the reasons above stated, I do not hesitate to say 

 that I consider trolling with a gorge hook to be the most 



