THE TROUT. 



85 



and goea under the name of a bait-rod. The smaller, say 12 

 feet, for small wading streams, and the longer for wider and 

 deeper waters. Attached should be an American* reel, 

 holding from 30 to 50 yards of American laid\ grass, or silk 

 line, with from two to three yards of silk-worm gut, termi- 

 nating with a Limerick hook, from No. 2 to 5, according to 

 the size of your bait, fastened by a loop as before described. 

 For baiting the minnow, pass your hook in at the mouth and 

 out at the giils, then in again at the commencement of the 

 dorsal fin and out again just beyond, tying the hook at each 

 end with a piece of thin silk or thread. By this method you 

 can, if you use a live minnow, and are very careful, keep 

 your bait animated for a great length of time. 



The North Country Angler gives a very good mode of 

 baiting with the minnow, as follows : " I have a gilse-hook 

 (No. 3 or 4) at the end of the line, but wrapped no further 

 on the end of the shank than to make it secure, and leave 

 more room to bait. An inch, or very little more, from the 

 shank end of the gilse-hook, I wrap on a strong hook, about 

 half the size of the other. I put the point of the large hook 

 in at the mouth of the minnow, and out at the tail, on the right 

 side of the minnow, binding it half round as I put it in ; then 

 I put the other hook in, below the under chap, which keeps 

 the minnow's mouth quite close. 



" When I am in no hurry, I tie the tail and hook together, 

 with a very small white thread ; before I enter the little 

 hook, I draw up the minnow to its full length, and make it 

 fit the bending of the great hook, to make it twirl round 



* The imported reels are used to a great extent, but those of Ameri- 

 can manufacture are much superior, and should be preferred. 



t This description of line has of late years become much used. The 

 grass is imported from Canton and laid here, or taken in a finished 

 state, untwisted, and relaid, which makes it much stronger and firmer 

 than when first imported. 



