JANUARY 9 



I myself was, and am, disposed towards 

 William's opinion. Attached to either 

 rod, a minnow will spin well enough ; but 

 otherwise the action of the minnow will 

 not be the same in each case. The fly- 

 rod bends to the wind, and to the stroke 

 of the oar, and to the motion of the boat 

 on rolling waves ; the other rod does not 

 bend so much. Thus the minnow which 

 is attached to a trolling-rod will go 

 through the water with a motion more 

 nearly regular than that of the minnow 

 which is attached to a fly-rod. Therefore 

 the question comes to be, Is a regular 

 motion of a minnow more attractive to 

 fish than an irregular motion ? There is 

 reason for believing that it is. On 

 Lochleven one June day two minnows 

 were put out between-drifts. One was 

 attached to a fly-rod ; the other was 

 attached to no rod at all, but only to a 

 reel. During the day a perch was taken 

 on the minnow which was attached to the 

 rod ; two perches and seven trout were 

 taken on the minnow which was attached 



