434 MANUAL FOB TOTING SPORTSMEN. 



throughout, the casting-line itself makes a very prominent 

 ripple, and by the overdoing of the attempt serves to scare 

 away the fish. The line should always be well shotted, as 

 the minnow will otherwise rise too near the surface, and 

 no float will be required, inasmuch as the bait is always at 

 the end of a " taut" line. Mr. Stoddart also recommends 

 the adoption of a plain hook, baited with a minnow as 

 when using a worm, running it in at the tail and bringing 

 it out at the mouth ; after which he hitches the gut over 

 the tail to suit the bait in its proper position. With this 

 he fishes as with a worm in low and clear states of the 

 water ; but as I have never seen this bait used, I cannot 

 speak as to its efficiency. It is exactly the reverse of Izaak 

 Walton's mode of entering the hook, and, according to 

 Mr. Stoddart's practice and theory, is much to be pre- 

 ferred to it. Colonel Hawker's mode of baiting the hook, 

 with the addition of side hooks, is used in the same way 

 as ordinary spinning-tackle, and the minnow baited as he 

 recommends will be found tolerably serviceable. It is 

 merely the addition of the side hooks to Izaak Walton's 

 method of applying the hook, which has the objection of 

 offering the wrong end to the trout, having the barb at 

 the tail instead of the head. It is, therefore, no wonder 

 that trout so often are missed when rushing at it, since 

 they almost invariably endeavor to seize the head. This 

 is the case with most predacious animals, which are 

 instinctively made aware that this part is the most vital 

 organ, and they almost always begin by eating the brain 

 where such an organ exists. When fishing with the min- 

 now well leaded and in deep water, the angler seldom sees 



