86 



THE TROUT. 



when it is drawn in the water. When all is in order, 1 take 

 the line in my left hand, a little above the bait, and throw it 

 under-hand, lifting up my right and the rod, that the bait 

 may fall gently on the water. 



" I stand at the very top of the stream, as far off as my 

 tackle will permit, and let the bait drop in a yard from the 

 middle of it; I draw the minnow by gentle pulls, of about a 

 yard at a time, across the stream, turning my rod up the 

 water, within half a yard of its surface, keeping my eye fixed 

 on the minnow. When a fish takes it, lie generally hooks 

 himself; however, I give him a smart stroke, and, if.he does 

 not get off then, I am pretty sure of him. In this manner I 

 throw in three or four times, at the upper part of a stream, 

 but never twice in the same place, but a yard lower every 

 cast. I always throw quite over the stream, but let the bait 

 cross it in a round, like a semicircle, about a foot below the 

 surface, which two of No. 3 or 4 shot, which I always have 

 upon my line, nine or ten inches from the hooks, will sink 

 it to. When I am drawing the bait across the stream, I keep 

 the top of the rod within less than a yard from the water, and 

 draw it downwards, that the bait may be at a greater distance 

 from me, and the first thing that the fish will see. Some- 

 times I can see the fish before he takes the bait, and then I 

 give in the rod a little, that the minnow may, as it were, 

 meet him half-way ; but if I think he is shy, I pull it away, 

 and do not throw it in again till he has got to his feeding 

 place. 



'• The twirling of the minnow is the beauty of this kind of 

 angling, the fish seeing it a greater distance, and fancying it 

 is making all the haste it can to escape from them ; and they 

 make the same haste to catch it." 



Hofland has the following : " The minnow rod should be 

 of bamboo cane, at least 16 feet long, with a tolerable stiff, 

 top; and 20 or 25 yards. of. line, something stronger than 1 



