FIRST EMPTYING. 17 



MINNOWS. 



If it is necessary to get your minnows a day or two in 

 advance of your fishing, there are two simple ways of 

 preserving them with almost all their natural sheen on them. 

 One is to give them a flick at the back of the head with the 

 nail of your middle finger, lay them on a dish, sprinkle them 

 over with salt, leave it on for five or six minutes, and then 

 put them into spirits of wine. The other way, the best 

 method known to me, is to put the minnows alive on a big 

 dinner dish, sprinkle them well with salt for about two 

 minutes, and then put them, still alive, one by one, with the 

 salt on them, into the spirits of wine. It sounds cruel, but 

 we are taught to believe that the sensory nerves in these 

 cold-blooded creatures are very dull indeed. You will, 

 however, be surprised to see them swimming about for some 

 time in the spirits in a state of inebriated obfuscation. 

 Minnows are brighter and tougher by this method than any 

 other known to me. 



CREEPER FISHING. 



The first heavy fresh in May in all northern rivers will 

 probably afford some of the best fishing of the year, especially 

 if mild, quiet weather should supervene. The fish are 

 finding the creeper, which is the larva of the stone fly, and 

 are consequently getting into their best condition. The date 

 of the appearance of this interesting insect varies according 

 to the temperature of the air and the water. Lift up a stone 

 just at the very edge of the water ; lift it up quickly and 

 make a quiet grab at a thing like a cockroach which you 

 will probably see endeavouring to scuttle away on your 

 disarrangement of his watery domicile. He will neither bite 

 nor scratch nor kick nor exhibit any other vices ; get a couple 

 of No. 2 hooks on fine gut, one whipped from one-eighth to 



