TROLLING FOR THE SALMO-FEROX. 89 



easily, the appearance of the minnow is not spoiled, and 

 when the trout are at all greedy, they don't often miss. 

 There is this to be said against it, however, that when shy 

 fish bite warily, they may sometimes seize the bait by the 

 middle, and, for want of middle hooks, blow it away again, 

 when slightly pricked by the others. The spinning also 

 is neither so quick nor so true as by the following method., 

 which I have tried with great success. It is, first a single 

 hook, next three tied back to back, then another single one 

 tied the contrary way, ending with a second trio. Of 

 course, when trolling for the feroxes, all the hooks must 

 be very large. This latter plan, when properly baited, 

 moves very naturally ; and, although there are so many 

 hooks, I am convinced, from the rapidity of the spinning, 

 they are even less perceptible than when there are few. 

 One of the last hooks being inserted at the side of the bait's 

 tail, the whole tail-fin catches the water better than by the 

 other more simple method ; and there are three hooks for 

 the shoulder and three for the tail, the two places where 

 the feroxes are most apt to strike. I am quite sure, after 

 trying both ways, that this last plan not only misses fewer 

 trout, but secures a greater number of runs. I should, 

 therefore, strongly recommend it when large shy fish are 

 the object, although not where trout are small and plentiful, 

 especially in cold weather, when the difficulty of baiting is 

 a serious objection. 



When fairly afloat, beware of trusting too implicitly to 

 your boatman, even should you be totally unacquainted 

 with the loch. It commonly happens, unless he is a good 



