42 FISH : THEIR HABITS AND HAUNTS. 



gets a run, if he fishes with a stiff rod. Be- 

 sides, trout, when hooked, sometimes make 

 tremendous leaps, and if one leap from you, 

 and the rod is very stiff, something will be 

 sure to break. The line for spinning the 

 minnow must be made of silk, plaited, one 

 hundred yards long. Tackle for spinning 

 the minnow, if one is going to fish in a river 

 where the fish are large, should be made of 

 three stout guts, not tied together, but 

 looped to three small swivels, one at each 

 joint, and a single hook with a small lead 

 twelve inches from the hook. This is the 

 very best tackle for spinning the min- 

 now for pike and perch, as well as trout. 

 But if you are going to fish in a small stream 

 or brook, where you know the fish are small, 

 finer gut should be used. The way to bait 

 this tackle is with a fine baiting-needle, 

 putting the needle in at the bait of the min- 

 now on one side and out at the mouth, draw- 

 ing the shank of the hook inside the bait. 



