METHODS OF CAPTURING MINNOWS. 167 



be employed when a shoal of minnows is found in 

 some detached piece of water ; in which case the 

 mud should be stirred up before commencing, when 

 they may be captured with great ease. 



When a shoal of minnows is in a corner they 

 may be captured without much difficulty. The 

 small hoop-net will secure a good many, but a much 

 more efficient plan is to have a net tied between two 

 sticks, about two feet separate, with the lower end 

 of the net leaded. This is wrought quickly up into 

 the corner, and as it lies close to the bottom, very 

 few minnows escape. By this means as many min- 

 nows may be taken at a single haul as will last a 

 week. This is the only kind of net we carry with 

 us when angling, as it goes into little bulk, and a 

 couple of sticks with which to use it can be picked 

 up at the water-side. 



The great difficulty, however, lies in catching 

 minnows when they are in the open stream. For 

 this purpose we use an oblong net, about two yards 

 wide and as many long. This should be attached 

 to two sticks, with the lower side of the net leaded, 

 and a few corks put on the upper side, so as to get 

 as much opening as possible. The angler should 

 then place it at the side of some stream where the 

 minnows are, and chase them into it. This is the 

 most reliable of all the methods of capturing min- 

 nows. A net of the size just mentioned, with the 

 mesh sufficiently small, would cost several pounds ; 

 but a piece of light canvas, which will do equally 



