TROLLING WITH DEAV GORGE-BAIT. 189 



mistake, as the stripping off of all its fins reduces the bait too 

 much to the condition of ' King Log,' and considerably curtails 

 the variety of its gyrations in the water. Moreover, the in- 

 convenience which it is intended to obviate is usually more 

 imaginary than real. 



The major part of the movements of the bait being produced 

 by itself when sinking head foremost, the principal part of the 

 troller is to keep on raising it, every second or two, to the 

 surface, and generally to take care that its conduct approaches 

 as nearly as circumstances will permit the laws of perpetual 

 motion. 



Short casts rather than long ones are to be recommended 

 as the bait can thus be made to enter the water in a downward- 

 darting direction, instead of flat on its side, or, perhaps, tail 

 foremost. The rule of fishing 'fine and far off' — a most salu- 

 tary one under most circumstances— has not much significance 

 in this particular kind of fishing, as the gorge bait is usually 

 employed in deep holes, or amongst weeds, from under which 

 the fisherman cannot be seen. 



I am not usually an advocate for any Medo-Persic laws v/ith 

 regard to fishing up stream or down stream ; but in the branch 

 of the art now under consideration, it is essentially necessary 

 to adopt the former method — that is, to cast somewhat in front 

 of and above you, and work the bait downwards towards you — 

 and for a very simple reason — namely, that the slope of the 

 weeds with the current makes it impossible to work it properly 

 in any other way. 



This plan has also the merit of bringing the bait into contact 

 with the pike's jaws first instead of his tail. I am aware, that 

 in this I am laying down a diametrically opposite principle to 

 that recommended by 'Ephemera,' and a good many other 

 authors. The question, however, is one, not of opinion, but 

 of a physical fact, and as such can be easily tested. I .should 

 say, therefore, cast rather up and across stream, keeping the 

 bait as much as possible in the runs and gullies between weed 

 clumps, or at the margin of weed beds in pools, and bringing 



