Casting the Minnow. 393 



ElGGING THE CaST. 



In rigging the cast with the minnow, the reel must be 

 placed underneath the rod, on a line with the guides. 

 Many anglers use the reel on top, but this is essentially 

 wrong. The weight of the reel naturally takes it under the 

 rod, where it balances better and enables the rod to be held 

 more steadily; the strain of the line also falls upon the 

 guides, which insures a more perfect working of the rod. 

 Both click and multiplying reels should always be used 

 underneath ; they are intended to be so used, and it will be 

 found far the best way when one becomes accustomed to 

 this plan. 



The reel then being underneath, the line is rove through 

 the guides and a box-swivel tied on the end; to the other 

 ring of the swivel is looped the snell of the hook. The 

 hook is then passed through the lips of a minnow, from 

 two to four inches long. If the minnow is carefully 

 hooked, it will live a comparatively long time. If a sinker 

 be required in addition to the swivel, it should be placed a 

 foot above it. 



Making the Cast. 

 Now reel up the line u.ntil the sinker, or swivel, as the 

 case may be, is a few inches from the tip of the rod, and we 

 are ready to make a cast, which I will now endeavor to ex- 

 plain with the aid of the annexed diagram and cuts : 



In the diagram, A represents the angler; we are sup- 

 posed to be looking down upon him from above, so that 



