108 TROLLING. 



chief will ensue from permitting him to remain still 

 after he has pouched the bait. The best rule is not 

 to strike until you find the fish moving and shaking 

 your line, after having been still for some time. Some- 

 times you will have to wait for ten minutes or longer, 

 after the bait has been taken. 



Do not bait your hook until after you have prepared 

 your rod and line, so that the bait may be as fresh as 

 possible. As soon as the bait gets stale, or sopped, or 

 torn, it should be removed, and another be put on. You 

 may bait three or four hooks before you begin, and 

 keep them fresh, by putting them into a box, and 

 covering them with bran. If the water is very weedy, 

 it will be best to cut off the fins of the bait. 



If you do not get your bait taken within a quarter 

 of an hour or so, you may as well shift your place, and 

 try elsewhere, as it is likely there are no fish on the 

 feed where you are. 



When you have taken one fish, immediately put on 

 another bait, and cast in, the probability being that 

 there was a brace of fish on the spot. 



LIVE-BAIT FISHING, with a float to the line, is not 

 in much favour for pike-taking. When resorted to, 

 use a rod like that used for trolling, or a strong bottom- 

 rod, and to about a foot of gimp, not too coarse, fix a 

 double, or two single hooks, of No. 5, making a small 

 loop at the other end of it. For trout and perch, the 

 link to which the hook is tied should be of gut, or of 

 three twisted hairs. Then take your bait-fish a small 

 gudgeon, if you have it, for Thames trout and perch 

 and pass a fine baiting-needle in at the upper part of 

 his side, near the gills, and bring it out past the back- 

 fin, but not so deep in the fish as to prevent his 



