MINNOW TROLLING. 105 



but between which and the tail was a double swivel ; otherwise the 

 velocity of the bait so rapidly flying round would have twisted it up 

 in an instant. Another swivel was fixed to the nose, and indeed one is 

 required to almost every link, on account of the wonderful rapidity 

 with which the bait spins round, being in fact so great, that though 

 almost envelopped in hooks, not one can be perceived. Now al- 

 though I believed every word that my informant told me of his 

 own success, I could not even then fancy I myself should meet 

 with it in streams where the minnows themselves were abundant, 

 and where the trout from seeing them constantly would be so 

 easily enabled to detect the difference ; and of that opinion I 

 should doubtless still have been had not Necessity who harsh 

 as she may appear has often proved ray friend stepped in and 

 compelled me to try the brazen imitation, or relinquish all chance 

 by my day's sport ; so in plain terms obliging me fairly to put its 

 merits to the test. The matter fell out thus : I was one of a party 

 of three, the other two fly fishers I myself purposing to try 

 my skill in spinning the real minnow. As the river we intended 

 fishing in, and every ditch running into it, may be said almost to 

 swarm with minnows, I was under no apprehension of lacking 

 baits of that kind ; yet from what cause it was I know not, but on 

 arriving at the river, and looking in some never failing spots, not 

 a single minnow could I discover, so that at last I resolved to 

 give my old brazen killdevil a trial, so fixing it on, although 

 without very sanguine hopes of catching any thing with it, I just 

 threw it into a clear pool before me to see how it would look in 

 the water, when I was even more dissatisfied with it than before, 

 as it seemed to bear no resemblance to a minnow, or any kind of 

 fish whatever, looking in fact in the water just as it did out, the 

 velocity with which it turned making it appear motionless, only 

 that the hooks were completely invisible. I resolved, however, 

 not to condemn it untried, so stepping down to a good pool below, 

 I threw in amongst the rippling water at the entrance, and was 

 drawing rapidly across, when to my agreeable surprise, a smart tug 

 informed me I had a run, and a pretty yellow sided trout instantly 

 leaping a foot or two out of the water with the killdevil in his 

 mouth, assured me I had hooked the fish, which I safely landed. 

 I afterwards during the day caught several more trout with this 

 said killdevil, though the weather was ill adapted to the kind of 

 sport, being hot, calm, and bright ; though it proved even leit 



