Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter vii minnow-fishing for trout It is not usual to fish with a minnow for any trout except the Salmo namaycush, or Great Lake trout, in this country; but those who have tried it for brook trout, including myself, find it quite as deadly as the fly or worm. I shall not describe the process of trolling for the lake trout, as it is a sport that is rather outside the reach of my young readers, further than to say a gang of hooks, on which a shiner is impaled, as in pickerel trolling, is ordinarily used, or one of the artificial fish (the "Caledonian" Minnow or "Phantom" Bait) is attached to the line and towed behind a boat precisely as in pickerel trolling--in principle, though the detail may vary. The Great Lake trout is taken in spring and fall by this method, and a grand fish it is; but if one can use the minnow for the brook trout, he may be pretty certain that the lake trout fisherman can teach him but little concerning the larger fish. Now, the minnow is only used for brook trout on rivers where it is known large trout exist. These large fellows are also very hard to catch with the fly or bait, and hence it is not unsportsmanlike to use the live or dead minnow. In no case need the young sucker, dace, or shiner be longer than two and one-half inches; and sometimes, if smaller, the sport resulting will be the more. The live minnow must first claim our attention. Be sure they are got from some cool stream, if you are to use them near springs, where the large trout do most congregate at this season of the year. If you do not pay attention to this little matter, they will not live and play freely on the hook, any more than an African from Central Africa would find the climate of the Esquimau to his liking; but they will certainly die, ...
