66 TROLLING. 



port." Many modes of fishing are better than trol- 

 ling, but trolling is not a bad mode ; and as it is a 

 very killing mode, I shall venture to describe it. 



The implements necessary for a troller are a 

 baiting-needle, a piece of brown thread, a pair of 

 scissors, and a dead-gorge hook. The latter, like 

 almost everything else, to be good, should be 

 moderate in all its parts of moderate weight, 

 moderate length, the hooks moderately curved, 

 first inwardly, and secondly, more slightly, in an 

 outward direction ; a swivel is not essential, but 

 very advantageous. The rod, about fourteen feet 

 in length, must be stout and stiff; in fact, if not 

 too heavy, the stouter and stiffer the better. The 

 rings should be fixed, and can hardly be too large, 

 the great object being, as will be shown hereafter, 

 to allow the line to run out, without check or 

 hindrance. 



Almost any fish of proper size will answer as 

 a bait, but perhaps a large gudgeon is the best 

 that can be used : it is tough, well shaped for the 

 purpose, and its flavour much appreciated by the 

 greedy jack. The mode of baiting is, after killing 

 the fish, to draw the shank of the hook, by aid of 

 the baiting-needle, clean through it, entering at the 

 mouth, and bringing it out at the fork of the tail. 

 A few twists of the thread below the gills and 



