77 



force, on the hook or, if the minnow be large, even- 

 tually a little way on the line : then take the small hook, 

 which is called the lip-hook, and closing the mouth of the 

 minnow, pass it through both lips ; Through the under 

 one first, so that the point may come out at the 'top, 

 pointing forward over the minnow's nose. 



Taking care that the minnow is perfectly stretched, you 

 now, with a piece of very fine silk of a dull colour, thnt 

 will not glare, or shew to the trout, 8cc. with two or 

 three laps round the little eye and the butt of the lip-hook, 

 fasten it down very firmly to your line, so as not to allow 

 the Lip-hook to recede j as, in such case, the mitunow 

 would bend, and the lip-hook would be useless: besides, 

 your bait would be deformed, -and no fish would approach 

 it. Cut away very close to your knot, and leave nothing 

 that can cause the trout, &rc. to suspect the device. Soino 

 sew up the mouth of the minnow, which is a very good 

 practice. See Fig. 2, Plate III. 



Your line should be remarkably good, but as fine as 

 you can trust to j and composed of single gut for at least 

 seven or eight feet. At about two feet or a yard from the 

 bait, you should have on your line a very small, neat, 

 steel swivel, looped on to one part, and hooking on the 

 other, by means of the spring-hook at the other end of 

 the swivel for that purpose. See Fig. 3, Plate III. 



This swivel answers two purposes : it prevents your 

 line from being wrenched, by the largest fish., into twists 

 and snarls j and it causes your bait to play round, or, as 

 it is called, to spin freely in the stream, whereby it imi- 

 tates more closely the action of a live minnow, an:l pre- 

 vents the hook, &c. from being distinguished. 



Tie bait thus prepartd, is called a spuming-bait, -on 

 E 3 account 



