116 TROLLING. 



thrusting the hook in at the lower side of the minnow's 

 under, and quite through the upper jaw, drawing it 

 two or three inches on the line, and then putting the 

 hook in at the mouth, passing it through the body, and 

 bringing the point and barb out at the tail, which should 

 be tied to the hook by a piece of fine white silk. There 

 are various descriptions of artificial minnows, one of 

 which the " Archimedean minnow," invented by 

 Mr. Allies, of Worcester, is becoming a great and 

 deserved favourite. 



Now, to spin your minnow, you must cast your bait 

 across or down the stream, delivering it so lightly on 

 the water as not to disturb it by noise or splash, and 

 then draw it towards you, either across or against the 

 current, permitting it to sink about a foot, lowering 

 the point of the rod, and then drawing it up and across 

 with gentle tugs, about a yard at a time, and imitating, 

 as well as you can, the shootings of the living fish in 

 its action. "When it wants throwing out again, throw 

 it further than before; and so continue extending your 

 throw until you have fishecj. the whole water. If a 

 fish comes after your bait, never stop it, or in any way 

 alter its pace, or he will most likely be off again. In 

 fact, as Mr. Blain remarks, "more fish are lost by 

 the nervous feeling which shoots through the young 

 angler when he perceives the first rush of a trout, or 

 flinches from, or starts to it, than by any other course 

 whatever. If nothing of this kind takes place, the 

 trout sees no cause of alarm, and there need be no fear 

 on the angler's part but that he will himself strike the 

 fish at the regular pace at which he attempted to over- 

 take it; and that being done, it only remains for the 

 fisher to fix the hook, or hooks, within its mouth by a 



