THE TROUT. 



when it is drawn in the water. When all is in order, I take 

 the line in my left hand, a little above the bait, and throw it 

 under-hand, lifting up my right and the rod, that the bait 

 may fall gently on the water. 



" I stand at the very top of the stream, as far off as my 

 tackle will permit, and let the bait drop in a yard from the 

 middle of it; I draw the minnow by gentle pulls, of about a 

 yard at a time, across the stream, turning my rod up the 

 water, within half a yard of its surface, keeping my eye fixed 

 on the minnow. When a fish takes it, he generally hooks 

 himself; however, I give him a smart stroke, and, if he does 

 not get off then, I am pretty sure of him. In this manner I 

 throw in three or four times, at the upper part of a stream, 

 but never twice in the same place, but a yard lower every 

 cast. I always throw quite over the stream, but let the bait 

 cross it in a round, like a semicircle, about a foot below the 

 surface, which two of No. 3 or 4 shot, which I always have 

 upon my line, nine or ten inches from the hooks, will sink 

 it to. When I am drawing the bait across the stream, I keep 

 the top of the rod within less than a yard from the water, and 

 draw it downwards, that the bait may be at a greater distance 

 from me, and the first thing that the fish will see. Some- 

 times I can see the fish before he takes the bait, and then I 

 give in the rod a little, that the minnow may, as it were, 

 meet him half-way ; but if I think he is shy, I pull it away, 

 and do not throw it in again till he has got to his feeding 

 place. 



" The twirling of the minnow is the beauty of this kind of 

 angling, the fish seeing it a greater distance, and fancying it 

 is making all the haste it can to escape from them ; and they 

 make the same haste to catch it." 



Hofland has the following : " The minnow rod should be 

 of bamboo cane, at least 16 feet long, with a tolerable stiff 

 top ; and 20 or 25 yards of line, something stronger thau 





