TROLLING WITH THE DEAD GORGE BAIT. 205 



expresses the sort of circular movement which should 

 be given to the gorge bait, and for the purpose of pro- 

 ducing this it is a common and very good plan to cut 

 off a pectoral fin on one side and a ventral fin on the 

 other. A good many Trollers also cut off the back and 

 anal fins to prevent their catching in the weeds, but I 

 believe this to be a mistake, as the stripping off of all its 

 fins reduces the bait too much to the condition of 

 " King Log," and considerably curtails the variety of its 

 gyrations in the water. Moreover the inconvenience 

 which it is intended to obviate is usually more imaginary 

 than real. 



The major part of the movements of the bait being 

 produced by itself when sinking head-foremost, the 

 part of the Troller is principally to keep on raising it, 

 every second or two, to the surface, and generally to 

 take care that its conduct approaches as nearly as 

 circumstances will permit to the laws of perpetual 

 motion. 



Short casts rather than long ones are to be recom- 

 mended, as the bait can thus be made to enter the water 

 in^a downward-darting direction instead of flat on its 

 side, or perhaps tail-foremost. 



I am not usually an advocate for any Medo-Persic 

 laws with regard to fishing up stream or down stream ; 

 but in trolling with the gorge bait it is essentially neces- 

 sary to adopt the former method, to cast, that is, some- 

 what in front of and above you, and work the bait 



