BAIT-FISHING. 435 



the trout rush at his bait, but is warned by the sense of 

 touch, rather than by his eyes, that the trout is at it. 

 At this moment the angler slackens his line gently for a 

 couple of seconds, and then strikes with his wrist, using 

 only a slight jerk. The trout is now either hooked or 

 alarmed, but generally the former is the case, unless he is 

 a very shy, wary old fox ; in which case he is not likely to 

 be again tempted on that day. If, however, the trout is 

 seen approaching the minnow, the angler ought to en- 

 deavor, as far as his nerves will allow him, to continue the 

 precise kind of motion which attracted the fish, until he 

 not only sees him at the bait, butyls his pull, when he 

 should proceed exactly as if all was out of sight. This, 

 however, is a difficult task, and few young fishermen have 

 sufficient command over themselves to avoid the mistake 

 to which their attention is here directed. Every one who 

 has hooked fish of any size with fine tackle, must be aware 

 how difficult it is, when commencing trout-fishing, to carry 

 out in pactice the theory which he has been endeavoring to 

 realize for some time past ; and each, in his turn, must 

 have been made painfully conscious of the danger not only 

 of striking too soon and too hard, but of attempting to 

 land a large fish with fine gut before he is tired. 



TROLLING FOR LAKE TROUT. 



The following instructions on fishing for the great lake 

 trout were furnished for my work on Fish and Fishing, by 

 an old and experienced angler, of high repute for science 

 and skill, and much accustomed to the lakes. They are 



