TROLLING. 113 



One general direction may be given for the use of 

 snap-baits that is, that the moment the fish bites 

 or snaps at it, you must strike, the object being to 

 catch him on as many of your hooks as possible. 



In concluding these directions, I cannot do better 

 than place the following judicious remarks of Mr. Blain 

 before my readers : 



" In the practice of trolling, a due degree of caution 

 must be observed throughout. Avoid alarming the 

 fish by unnecessary noise, and keep as much concealed 

 from view as possible. The length of the rod will 

 assist greatly in this particular, for by it the angler can 

 reach over the bank without approaching too near. 

 The sides of every water should be first tried to the 

 right and left; this done, proceed somewhat further in, 

 but avoid making either much noise or much splash in 

 the water by the cast of the bait. Try every spot, but 

 ,do not dwell long in any one; once or twice showing 

 the bait in likely places is usually sufficient. Success 

 in trolling depends much on the method of displaying 

 the bait, which, of course, should represent the natural 

 actions of the fish, and is best effected by first giving 

 to the bait a slanting direction on its entering the 

 water, and then drawing it towards you, to make it 

 resemble a running-away, as it were, fish; or, at any 

 rate, a frightened one. Never allow the bait to be 

 still, but keep it ever in moderate motion, yet never 

 in a violent one, as some trollers improperly do; which 

 practice, we suspect, is more detrimental to sport in 

 trolling than is imagined, for we have had runs by 

 trolling more slowly over the same spots which others 

 i 



