72 FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 



certain amount of play in it. It should always be made 

 fermled, not spliced ; and this also applies to all rods for 

 trolling from a boat, or grasshoppering, or in fact any 

 fishing, except fly. 



A very fine dressed silk line and a plain reel, either 

 with or without a check. 



Now, with regard to the minnow itself, until six or 

 seven years ago, I always used the natural minnow, but 

 having then met and fished with a very first-rate minnow 

 fisherman, he quite convinced me that the artificial was 

 much superior, and since that time I have never used 

 any other for small waters, such as I am now writing 

 about. The minnow I employ is an ordinary brass kill- 

 devil, and I sometimes have it made of some silvery 

 metal for a change. I would always back myself with 

 this against anyone using the natural minnow, and in all 

 conditions of water. The reason that the artificial has 

 obtained a bad reputation for killing is that few men have 

 any faith in it, and, therefore, if they do not kill on first 

 using it, they say, " Oh, it is no good," and do not try it 

 again. 



But the artificial should always be an ordinary metal 

 one, like the one presently to be described, or something 

 of the same kind. I have no faith whatever in any of 



