154 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



is in a tin case shaped something like a powder- 

 flask. It should be commodious, six or seven inches 

 long by four or five wide, and an inch and a half 

 thick. The end at which the flies are to be put in 

 and taken out should be narrow, with an opening 

 j ust sufficient to allow one or two flies to come out at 

 a time, otherwise the angler will have great difficulty 

 in keeping them in. The lid should be fastened with 

 a hinge, and the whole canister perforated with holes 

 to admit the air. The creepers can be best 

 preserved in a little of the river water, and seem 

 amphibious, as they will live a whole day in a 

 canister in the angler's pocket. It is different with 

 the flies ; care must be taken to keep them dry, as 

 water kills them. 



Creepers, then, first merit the attention of the 

 angler, and may be used with success as soon as 

 trout come into condition. The rod and tackle used 

 for worm-fishing will answer very well for this also, 

 with the exception of the hook ; and with regard to 

 it, some anglers bait both the creeper and the fly on 

 an ordinary-sized bait hook. We, however, think 

 two hooks are best, and for creeper-fishing use two 

 No. 7 or 8 hooks tied with yellow silk to the same 

 piece of gut, so close that the barb of the one may be 

 about half an inch distant from the barb of the 

 other. Selecting a middle-sized creeper the best 

 are not the largest, but the yellowest take the 

 lower hook and put it through the creeper crossways 

 a little above the tail ; then take the upper hook, and 

 put it through about the shoulder, according as the 



