THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 153. 



some localities it is of a pearly white, and this colour is 

 preferred when the fish is wanted for bait, forming as it does 

 a favourite one for salmon, trout, perch, and pike. The best 

 size for trout fishing is about one and three-quarters of an 

 inch long, and the largest that can be obtained is used for 

 salmon. They are captured either by a landing net or a 

 minnow trap (q.v.). 



Minnow, The Natural. Spinning with this is 

 much resorted to now in the early season for salmon, and 

 when first practised on a river is a deadly bait ; after 

 a time the fish get cautious, and approach it with diffidence. 

 The best minnows are got in the midland counties of 

 England, and they are also caught in quantity in the southern 

 rivers- of Scotland. For trout fishing a small neat well- 

 coloured minnow is preferred, which can be baited simply by 

 inserting a hook, attached to the gut, in the mouth of the 

 little fish, carrying it down to near the vent, where it 'may be 

 brought out and the barb exposed, giving the minnow a slight 

 curve so as to cause it to spin freely ; another hook is 

 fastened above this one, and is inserted in the lip of the bait. 

 A swivel is attached to the line about two feet above the 

 hooks, and another close to where the casting line joins the. 

 main line. One or two coarse shot may be attached, and 

 either inserted in the fish's mouth or they may be put further 

 up the line. Some anglers like to have a third hook, at- 

 tached to a separate length of gut and fixed to the casting 

 line where the lip hook joins. This is called the drag hook,, 

 and hangs behind the minnow from three to four inches. The 

 gut used for this flight should not be too coarse, but strong, 

 and sound. The minnow is cast into a stream where it 

 begins to run under an overhanging bank, and the angler 

 spins it quietly across to his own side, when he lifts agaia 



