WALTON'S DIRECTIONS FOR BAITING. 137 



Thirdly, The body of the bait to be secured in such 

 a position as to cause it to revolve briskly. 



Fourthly, The hooks to afford ease and expedition 

 in baiting. 



Fifthly, And not liable to tear and disfigure the 

 bait. 



Before going farther I may be excused for noticing 

 the plan recommended by the venerable Walton, two 

 and a half centuries ago, as it forms the foundation of 'all 

 our modern methods of minnow-trolling, and is still 

 used by many accomplished sportsmen. He says : 



" Put your hook in at the mouth (of the minnow), and 

 out at the gill ; then having drawn your hook two or three 

 inches beyond it through his gill, put it again into his mouth, 

 and the point and beard out of the tail ; and then tie the hook 

 and his tail about very neatly with a white thread, which will 

 make it the apter to turn quick in the water ; that done, pull 

 back that part of your line which was slack when you did put 

 your hook into the minnow the second time. I say pull that 

 part of your line back, so that it shall fasten the head, so that 

 the body of the minnow shall be almost straight on your hook ; 

 this done, try how it will turn by drawing it across the water, or 

 against the stream, and if it do not turn nimbly, then turn the 

 tail a little to the right or left hand, and try again, till it turn 

 nimbly, if not, you are in danger of catching nothing ; for know, 

 that it is impossible that it should turn too quick." 



It cannot be denied that the directions here given, 

 although more than two centuries old, and scarcely up 

 to the more scientific tactics of the present day, contain 

 the fundamental principles of minnow-spinning ; as, for 

 example, the quickness of the revolutions of the bait in 

 the water, which is so essential to success, more especi- 

 ally when many hooks are used, as they are by that 



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