188 TEOUT FISHING 



CHAPTER IX. 



FISHING WITH THE MINNOW. 



THE most useful rod for fishing with the minnow 

 is constructed of hollow bamboo in length, 

 eighteen feet ; very light in hand ; having rings 

 all through of large size, and placed throughout 

 at shorter intervals than one usually sees them 

 on the so-called trolling rods. I prefer a top 

 joint of split cane, with much more action in it 

 than the top of a trolling rod ordinarily has. For 

 small streams, a rod of sixteen or even fourteen 

 feet will be long enough. And for very small 

 and bushy streams, in which one has to wade 

 through the water, fourteen feet is the most con- 

 venient length. The above rods can be used with 

 equal advantage either for the worm or the 

 minnow. The length most convenient to any 

 particular stream depends on its size, and on the 

 amount of bushes growing over it. On large 

 streams, the longest rod is requisite; but on 

 smaller, the bushes may form such impediments 

 to the use of the long rod, that the shorter one 

 may be more easily and freely worked. These 

 remarks apply equally both to worm and minnow 



