174 LOCH -FISHING. 



The best, though most tedious way of casting, is to 

 gather the line with your right hand, and, letting the 

 minnow hang down about a yard, throw it out, shifting 

 the rod at the same time from the left hand to the right : 

 you can thus make farther casts, and the minnow lasts 

 twice as long. If the wind is high, try all the sheltered 

 bays ; you may then often hook a fish where you would 

 otherwise have had little chance. Sink the minnow a few 

 inches below the surface, and when you see or feel a bite, 

 slacken your line a little : when you strike, it must be 

 done with much more force than in fly-fishing. 



When trolling from a boat, the less the breeze the 

 longer the line ; sink it with lead to a considerable depth. 

 In baiting, use a No. 9 hook through the minnow's lips, 

 and a 13 or 14 through the tail (vide cut). You thus bait 



much more quickly, and the minnow's appearance is not 

 so apt to be injured ; its tail can also be curved up, more 

 or less, to make it spin true. Thus baited, you may troll 

 with it from a boat for half a day ; but if you attempt to 

 cast, it will very soon be thrown off. Always take with 

 you two coarse trolling-rods that you do not mind sinking 

 in the water, and very large reels with plenty of line or 

 oiled cord, if you wish. 



Your boatman should be well acquainted with the 

 ground ; but if he is not, endeavour to troll between the 



