168 TROUT FISHING. 



chance whatever; but have remedied a few trifling 

 defects that it had, and put Chevalier in possession 

 of the improvement. The great advantage of it is, 

 that it takes the trout when they run and bite short 

 by means of fly hooks, that play round the other, on 

 a separate branch of line ; so that I have often killed 

 three or four brace of trout, without the minnow 

 being in the least injured, or even touched by the 

 fish. To describe the tackle properly, without giving 

 a plate of it, would be difficult, if not impossible. 

 After all, however, knowing how to bait the hook is 

 the chief art ; and even after being shown, requires 

 practice on the part of the fisherman who adopts it. 

 Supposing, however, that some angler might have 

 confidence enough in what I have said to get a set of 

 this tackle from Chevalier, I will endeavour (having 

 now a minnow in my hand) to direct him as to 

 baiting it. After choosing a white-bellied minnow, 

 of rather small size, and hardening it in bran for 

 an hour or two, First draw back the plummet, and 

 put the large hook into the minnow's mouth, and 

 out through the right gill, taking care not to tear 

 the mouth or any part of the bait : then draw the 

 line three or four inches to you, so as to be able to 

 get the hook back again into its mouth. Then take 

 the minnow between the finger and thumb in the left 

 hand, and the large hook in the right hand, and run 

 the hook all down its back, close to the bone, to the 

 very end of the fish, and let it come out about the 



