86 FISHING IN EDEN 



badly," and the other that, " the water was too high 

 for any sport at all with the creeper." They did 

 not inquire what I had done, but my basket was 

 quite heavy. I passed on behind them, throwing 

 straight up with a very short line, and dropping the 

 bait not more than a foot from the edge. By the 

 time I had reached Brougham I had a full load of 

 beautiful trout ! 



In creeper fishing the gut-cast need not be more 

 than two yards long, tapered off to 3X fine at 

 the tail. I like, howeyer, to have a short twisted 

 hair tippet between the line and the cast. The 

 creeper tackle, illustrated on another page, is made 

 up as described in the text accompanying the 

 illustration. 



In baiting, the creeper is held firmly, back down- 

 ward, and the lower hook inserted at the top, thick 

 end of the tail, immediately below the body, and 

 pushed through until the point comes out just short 

 of the tip of the tail. The top hook is then put 

 through under the tough skin of the thorax, and 

 simply acts as a holder to prevent the bait slipping 

 down the shank of the lower hook. 



I know several very successful creeper fishermen 

 who pin their faith to baiting with the top hook 

 through the tail, so that the head is at the bottom. I 

 have tried both ways and found no difference what- 



