TROUT FISHING. 169 



centre of the tail fin. Then with your right hand 

 pull the minnow out as straight as it will lie, and 

 press it into natural form with the finger and thumb. 

 Afterwards nip off the upper half of the tail Jin, in 

 order to prevent a counteraction to the spinning of 

 the minnow. 



Having done this, draw down your plummet again, 

 and see that your branch-line falls smoothly by the 

 side of your bait-line ; and if not, rub it with Indian 

 rubber till it does. Your hook is then ready for 

 action, and action indeed it may be called if properly 

 done. I should observe, that a new gut seldom spins 

 the minnow so well as one that is half worn out (by 

 reason of the stiffness which encircles the minnow's 

 gill). Therefore ten minutes soaking in water, and 

 sometimes a little hard friction of the gut, just above 

 the large hook, may at first be required ; besides the 

 working it with Indian rubber. So much for this 

 plan ; there may be many better ; but all I can say 

 is, that I have not yet seen one fit to be named 

 with it. 



The rod for trotting should be from eighteen to 

 twenty feet long, and made as light as possible, 

 though neither too pliaUe nor top heavy ; except just 

 the top and bottom, a minnow rod is best when made 

 of cane. This rod of course requires two hands : no 

 matter therefore where the reel is placed. If the top 

 is too stiff, you strain a fish's mouth so much as to 

 run the risk of breaking out his hold, which is nine 

 times in ten on one of the three small fly-hooks. 



