TROLL1NG-ROD. 199 



that, however well he may fish, he will catch but 

 few such. 



The large trout in lochs seem to live principally 

 on their smaller neighbours, and can be more readily 

 taken by trolling than by any other means. It is 

 not at all uncommon to find the trout captured 

 with fly rarely exceeding half-a-pound in weight ; 

 while trout of five, ten, and sometimes even twenty 

 pounds weight may be taken by means of a small 

 fish for a bait. If the trout are not large, a minnow 

 or parr-tail will form the best bait ; but if the angler 

 expects to meet with trout exceeding two or three 

 pounds in weight, a whole parr should be used, and 

 it is superior to a trout, being much more silvery 

 and easily seen. If parr are not procurable, recourse 

 must be had to trout, and if, as is generally the case, 

 they are very dark-coloured when caught, putting 

 them in a white basin and exposing them to the 

 sun will improve their appearance. Where the 

 trout are very large, as in lochs frequented by the 

 Salmo ferox, a quarter of a pound trout will not 

 make too large a bait. 



The rod for trolling need not be long, but it is 

 absolutely necessary that it should be stiff, as a 

 quantity of line with a heavy fish at the end of it 

 is a severe strain upon a rod, and in such circum- 

 stances a supple one would be quite unmanageable. 

 The reel should be large enough to contain at least 

 sixty or seventy yards of good strong line, as a trout of 

 ten or fifteen pounds will make a desperate struggle, 



