io4 A BOOK OF THE RUNNING BROOK: 



on a very small hook, or even without a hook, 

 and touching the bottom," for a minnow when 

 he seizes a bait will hold it so fast with his jaws 

 that he may be thus lifted out of the water, hook 

 or no hook. It is only very youthful anglers, 

 however, as a rule, who go minnow-fishing with 

 a rod and line : the more usual manner of cap- 

 ture is a " minnow-net," which Frank Buckland 

 took great pains to describe : 



"A fine-meshed net is fastened nearly flat to an iron 

 hoop about two feet in diameter ; in the middle is fas- 

 tened a perforated bullet and a piece of red cloth ; three 

 strings run off from the ring and join together about two 

 feet away from the hoop ; a longer line is attached to this 

 and also to a pole, say eight feet long. The net is dropped 

 into the river, the minnows are attracted by the red cloth, 

 and the net is raised quickly by means of the pole." 



Mr. Buckland forgot to add a necessary piece 

 of advice that the net should be drawn up at 

 intervals of a quarter of a minute or so, so as 

 not to give such active little fish as the minnows 

 time to dash away after satisfying their curiosity 

 anent the red cloth. The natural inquisitiveness 

 of a minnow often leads to his ruin, as he finds 

 when he is tempted to enter one of the glass 



