217 



a little cut having been previously made in the 

 eye for the purpose of admitting the gut, and the 

 point of the needle is introduced at the vent of 

 the minnow, and drawn out through its mouth 

 until the hooks are arrested by their bend at 

 the vent. The loop of the gut is next passed 

 through a little hole in the head of a short piece 

 of lead about an inch long, and just thick 

 enough to fill the orifice of the minnow's mouth, 

 and the lead is then passed down the gut and 

 fixed in the mouth and belly of the bait. The 

 whole is then looped to a gut-line of about two 

 yards in length, having two swivels on it, the 

 first distant from the bait about fourteen 

 inches, and the second about a foot and a half 

 from that. This tackle is looped to the reel- 

 line, and you are prepared for casting. Before 

 the cast is made, the distance you have to 

 throw is to be calculated, and line sufficient to 

 reach it is to be freed from the reel and allowed 

 to drop in coils upon the ground. The rod is 

 then to be grasped with both hands, one above 

 the reel and the other below it, and the bait is 

 to be swung to the point you wish it to reach. 

 As soon as the bait sinks in the water, lower the 

 rod to within about two feet of the surface, and 

 keeping constantly drawing your line with your 

 left hand towards you, and between the interval 

 of each draw, move the rod shortly and sharply 

 L 



