MINNOW FISHING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 8 May 1890, Page 29

MINNOW FISHING.

By Phalacrocobax.

In trolling along the beds of sluggish rivers or estuaries it is, as a rule, best to stick to the channel. Theangler sitting on the stern with the rods across his knees will often observe, when the water is clear, a trout which has seen the boat

Bneak away under some overhanging bank or into the shallow at the side. He ought to mark well that place, for as soon as the boat has passed, the fish will sail back into the channel, most likely just in time to meet the bait face to face. If he is hungry the result will be a rush and a rug at the point of the rod, followed by the music of tho reel.

The most successful trolling behind a boat is done when there is a ripple on the surface, and this is more particularly the case when the weather is bright and the water clear. We bave often had good sport when it was blowing half a gale of wind, but this militates against pleasure, as it makes the pulling very laborious. It is quite competent for a single angler with a handy boat to do the rowing himself, and also troll with one rod. This he does by cocking up the rod over the gunwale of the boat, keeping, his foot on the butt. He pulls a few Btrong strokes, getting considerable way on the boat, and then resting on his oars he quickly picks up the rod and pays out as much line as he can, laying it down and resuming the oars as soon as the boat shows signß of stopping. By doing tbis two or three timeß he can by himself keep the boat going and get out the requisite length of line. On an open lako this is very easily accomplished, as the boat is kept going before the wind, and will often drift faßt enough to get the line out without pulling ; but in a narrow river channel, with a Btrong head wind, it is often a matter of considerable difficulty. When sufficient line is out the fisherman sticks his rod up over the gunwale and keep his foot against the handle of the reel so that it may not run out too easily when the trout bites. _ When he hooks a fish he instantly slips his oars and picks up the rod, letting the boat drift while he plays him. Trolling behind a boat is much practised in many of the Scottish loans, where the great lake trout (Salmo ferox) is often taken by this method, of large size, sometimes weighing over 151b.

In the lakes and sluggish rivers of England and Ireland this style of fishing is used in the capture of perch and pike as well as trout. In Switzerland they have a quaint method of trolling, The boat is worked by a native fisherman who stands up with his face to the bow, (and propels the boat with the oars by means of the motion which our boatmen call " backing water." The angler Bits in the stern and is provided with two long lines with spinning baits attached. The line is generally coiled down loose in the bottom of the boat, and he also has two rods, or rather stioka, about Bft or 9ft long (usually of hazel), with a small bell attached to the point of each, When the boat is got under weigh, the lines are let out by band to the requisite length, and then fixed to the points of the rods by means of a couple of half hitches. The butts ,of the rods are then stuck into holes in the gunwales with the points Bticking out over the water on each side of the boat. _ The sportsman can there take his ease smoking, chatting, reading, or admiring the scenery. AH of a sudden he is startled by a violent ringing of one of the bells. Ha jumps up, and pulling the rod out of the socket in the gunwale, shakes the hitches off the point and playß the fish with line by hand.