The Chain Pickerel 



hook, fastened on a piano-wire snell, with a 

 swivel at the upper end; a few lead shots 

 as sinkers are fastened two feet above the 

 hook to keep the bait below. The float 

 should be adjusted according to the depth 

 of water and the minnow should swim 

 about three feet from the bottom. The 

 best bait are minnows, or small chubs or 

 shiners, with the hook put through the up- 

 per and lower lips, near the tip of the nose; 

 a minnow hooked so will be lively and 

 swim for some time, till the pickerel or 

 perch takes it. 



The boat should be moved if no strikes 

 are made and another spot tried. When 

 the fish takes the minnow let him run a 

 short distance, he has only got it in his 

 mouth sideways and will stop to kill and 

 swallow it; when he starts away again, then 

 is the time to strike sharply, and he will 

 be hooked. Keep him from the weeds 

 and let him run till he is tired. This is 

 always wise, if the fish is a good size; hur- 

 ried angling always leads to disaster but 



43 



