8o TROUT FISHING. 



attention to this rule. He used a rather long-, 

 light, and stiff rod, with fine line, and a small 

 Totnes minnow. Instead of walking direct 

 up to the river, knowing where the holes were, 

 he would crawl up on his hands and knees till 

 within reach of the water ; then, dropping the 

 bait gently above the hole, he would draw 

 it sufficiently sharp down-stream to spin it 

 properly, and used to catch Trout from parts 

 of the brook that many others would have 

 passed. 



For the same reason of keeping out of sight 

 as much as possible, practise throwing your 

 spinning bait, if fishing from a punt, whilst 

 sitting down, not on a chair like a Roach- 

 fisher, but seat yourself on the well, and spin 

 carefully, right and left, over every likely bit of 

 ripple or eddy where a fish might be expected 

 to be waiting for food. If you have a punt- 

 man with you who is up to his work, he 

 will manage the punt without splashing and 

 disturbing your fish, but will drop you down 

 a yard or two at a time, by means of the 

 weight and line, whilst you spin on either side, 

 till you reach within a convenient distance of 

 any spot where you know a fish is usually to 

 be found, or has been seen to feed : then wait 

 for your fish, trying for him steadily and care- 

 fully. Be on the watch for any other stray 

 fish that may be about, and take notice of his 

 haunts and times of feeding, for use on another 

 occasion, so as to know how to approach with- 



