MINNOW FISHING.
Minnow fishing, although barred on many streams, has much to be said
for it, if it be practised judiciously and at certain times of the
year, as it accounts for many of the larger fish whose cannibal habits
have grown in proportion to their years, and whose demise can in no way
be regretted. It may, therefore, fairly be said that the majority of
Northern rivers are benefited by a limited use of the minnow. But its
use must be _limited_, for it does a stream a great deal of harm, if,
from one end of the season to the other, it is daily raked with minnows,
natural and artificial, of all shapes and sizes. Besides, the practice is
unfair to those who wish to fish the fly, as trout are usually put down
for some considerable time after a minnow has been spun over them.
It is, moreover, a mystery why any man should wish to fish the minnow
during the early part of the year when trout rise readily to the fly.
Spinning should therefore be restricted to times of flood, as hereafter
described, and to the latter part of the season, excepting September.
When fish begin to come somewhat shyly at the worm during July and
August—fished in the method previously described—they are frequently in
the right mood for a minnow. At such times the waters are usually low and
clear; it therefore requires considerable dexterity to achieve success,
and there is no doubt that the minnow, fished under such conditions, is a
sporting method of angling; although it is a greater pleasure to land a
pound trout on a 00 hook than to kill a two pounder on the heavier tackle
required for minnow fishing.
With the evolution of the casting reel—its yearly improvements and new
inventions, all in aid of long distance casting—there is reason to
think that minnow fishing has been popularized at the expense of the
skill shown by the old-fashioned school, which, using a short line and
possessed of a good knowledge of the habits of its quarry, lured many an
old cannibal from under the tree roots, from behind some boulder, or from
the depths of an eddy, old villains that had battened for years upon the
young stock of the river.
One sees now, not without regrets, little of the old manner of fishing
the minnow, but far more of the method in which the minnow is thrown
as far as possible across stream, and then worked back to the angler
with very little idea of its being properly presented. The modern method
appears to require but little skill, knowledge or ingenuity, and it is by
a long way the nearest approach to “chuck and chance it” of any of the
methods of fishing described.
The long-distance casting reel has its uses, but in minnow fishing,
as in all other branches of angling, the man must adapt himself to
circumstances, and if he does so he will find that it is not always
necessary to throw a long way.
Out of all the reels on the market it would be presumptuous to say that
such and such a reel is best. Each has its advocates, and while one man
will swear by a certain make, the next may swear at it.
The rod should be short, 8 ft. 6 ins. or 9 feet, and fairly stiff, though
not too stiff. If a preference may be expressed, it is for a rod that
just gives slightly as a minnow is drawn across the current, and for
light spinning the split-cane fly rod frequently serves very well.
The line to use with the majority of reels is made of fine waterproof
silk, as it does not kink so readily as an undressed one, but there are
certain reels on the market with which it is an absolute necessity to use
undressed lines, and for many it is claimed that their mechanism can be
so adjusted as to do away entirely with kinking.
Out of the many varieties of mount for the natural minnow there is none
so popular in the North (and deservedly so) as the “Ariel.” It is easily
baited; the lead (which can be had in various weights) is pushed into the
body of the bait, the bottom hook is put through the back just above the
tail, and the gut is then drawn tight until a slight bend is imparted
to the minnow; the other hooks are then put into either side so as to
hold the bait in position. There is one point of importance which must
be carefully watched in baiting the tackle. The fore part of the minnow
must be perfectly straight; if this is not so and there is a curve in
that part of the body, instead of spinning cleanly, the minnow will come
towards the angler with an intoxicated wobble, which is fatal to good
results.
The variety of artificial minnows offered to fishermen is truly
bewildering, and life is far too short for the writers to have tested
even a tithe of them; but there is one which has invariably proved a
killer in a coloured water, and that is the “Devon.” It is sold in all
sizes from one inch upwards and in a variety of colours. The virtues of
this minnow lie, in all probability, in its particularly brilliant spin,
and it is the writers’ practice always to have two or three sizes handy,
in gold, brown and blue.
To them it is a proven fact that the artificial is never so good as the
natural; for a trout if he once runs at an artificial, but is not hooked,
will seldom come again. Whereas with a natural minnow, once the trout
has tasted blood, he often cannot resist the temptation to have a second
go, unless he has been badly scratched; and in some instances, he will
come again and again until finally hooked. There are, however, times when
natural minnows seem more difficult to get than trout; and for a clear
water on such occasions, a light Phantom, or one of the many excellent
reproductions of the minnow sold by fishing tackle houses can be used.
The trace should be from three to five feet in length, the former being
long enough for a coloured water, and the latter short enough for the
clearest conditions. It should, for average use, be of finest undrawn
gut, though when using very small minnows in a low clear water, a much
finer quality is to be recommended.
To obviate kinking of the cast and line, and to get a nice free spin,
it is, of course, necessary to use swivels on the trace. Of these the
angler should always carry a supply of various sizes, and at least two
should be put on to the cast. The writers’ practice is more often than
not to use three, increasing slightly in size as the distance from the
minnow increases. And in preference to the use of lead on the trace, they
are always for having it concealed in the body of the minnow whenever
possible.
The most silvery natural minnows are undoubtedly the best. They should be
from an inch and a quarter to two inches in length, and they are perhaps
better used fresh than in any other condition. If they are put into a
bottle three parts full of water, corked, and carried in the pocket, they
may be kept alive the whole day, if the water be changed occasionally.
If the angler is anxious to keep the weight of his impedimenta down to
a minimum, salted minnows take up far less room than live ones and are
naturally much lighter, and it is doubtful whether they are appreciably
inferior to fresh ones. But preserved minnows, which have been kept in a
solution of formalin, are certainly not so good as fresh or salted ones,
as trout never seem to want to try a second bite, when they have been
missed the first time.
Minnow fishing as practised in a coloured water is comparatively easy,
and does not call for any great amount of dexterity. That branch of the
sport, therefore, may be dealt with first, with the prefatory remark that
the minnow at such times should be used judiciously and sparingly and
with a view to removing the cannibals from the river.
When a fresh is running, the minnow is used to best advantage when the
river begins to rise and again as it subsides, that is when it wears the
complexion known as “porter colour.” If on such occasions the angler
sees an odd fish or two rise in some eddy or back wash, he may count the
risers his if he spins with any skill at all.
[Illustration: _A Brook in Spring_
_Photo by N. N. Lee_]
If the angler knows of the stronghold of some monster trout grown ugly
and big on a diet of trout, minnows and bottom food, let him hasten
thither with all speed if a fresh comes down the river, and fish very
carefully round the ancient’s precincts, as in all probability he will
come from out his keep to seek for food round the edges of the stream,
and to seize any fry which he sees carried down by, and struggling
against, the rush of the water.
To fish a coloured water, the angler must throw his minnow well across
stream and then bring it round to his own side in a series of short
pulls, occasionally, where the current is strongest, allowing the force
of water to carry it a foot or two down stream, imitating more or less
what one would imagine the actions of some small fish would be that
had got into heavy water. And as trout will often follow a minnow from
one side of the river to the other before taking it, and as in flood
time they are to be found under the banks very close to the edge, it is
imperative that the angler should not lift the minnow out of the water
until he has worked it well up under the bank on which he stands, and
thoroughly searched the edges. It is impossible to lay too much stress on
this point, as it will be found that almost eight fish out of ten take
the minnow close to the edge, just as they become afraid that they may
lose their prey.
All slack waters, eddies and places out of the rush of heavy water, where
trout seek shelter in time of flood, should be fished; and, if it be
possible to cast the minnow upstream and to work it down, the reward will
be greater than that gained by the man who will not take the trouble to
fish as recommended.
The next point to consider is the strike, and it is in minnow fishing
that the angler’s self-control will be most highly taxed. As soon as he
feels a trout touch the minnow, he will be tempted to strike—the novice
will probably give a startled jerk and ruin his chances—but not until a
trout has got a good hold on the minnow should any strike be given; and
then it should be more of a firm steady strain than what is generally
known as a “strike.”
Minnow fishing in a clear water is very much more artistic, and at the
same time more difficult, than the methods previously described, for
it calls for precise and delicate casting, and requires an intimate
knowledge of the habits of trout. In the blazing days of late summer it
is very exhilarating to fish the minnow up some small clear tributary
stream or brook, at the most only a few yards wide; and to do so
successfully requires consummate skill.
In fishing waters of this description it is imperative that the minnow
be thrown directly upstream and then rapidly spun down. This latter
point must be attended to, otherwise the minnow coming down more or less
with the current, will not spin. The main stream, places under banks,
about submerged tree roots, and behind boulders, and the heads of rapid
streams, should all be carefully searched, and when the angler observes
a trout rush from its place of concealment at his minnow, he must keep a
firm hold upon his nerves and simply continue steadily to spin without
himself otherwise moving.
A trout bent upon the capture of a minnow becomes very unwary and will
frequently follow his prey almost to the feet of the angler, and, if the
angler remains as still as his spinning will allow, will often seize the
bait at the last moment. It is very necessary therefore to fish a cast
right out.
It is also wise in the main to adapt the size of the minnow, be it
natural or artificial, to the size of the water to be fished; and it
should always be remembered that a minnow is better too small than too
large. When fishing small tributary waters, or even thin water on the
main river, the weight of the lead or sinker may be materially reduced,
and a small minnow should be used.
When fishing the main river under low clear water conditions, _upstream_
methods must be rigidly adhered to, and the beginner may here be warned,
above all things, not to get into that mechanical method of fishing the
minnow now so prevalent, which is satisfied with long casts across the
river and recovery of line without any definite object in view, except to
get the minnow from _one side to the other_.
If a boulder resists the onward flow of the current near the far bank,
throw the minnow so that it drops gently into the water a foot or more
above the boulder; then spin down past it. If nothing happens then, try
the other side of the rock. Should the water undermine the far bank, drop
the minnow in at the top of the run and spin down it; in fact try every
place, including the thinnest of water, that could contain a fish, and
use all the knowledge and intelligence you have; for you will need it
all, if you are to get any success in low clear water.
When a reach of quiet steady-flowing water is ruffled by a wind, it will
often yield good results to a minnow carefully fished. The edges should
be thoroughly worked and the angler should never fail to spin his minnow
alongside all patches of weed, as in such places minnows frequently
congregate, and a feeding trout knows where to find them.
Another type of spinning is afforded by a long reach of rapid water that
is broken up all over by boulders of every possible shape and size. In
such water the trout will not follow the minnow far; they will either
seize their prey as it passes them, or turn round and make a sudden rush
at it before it can get many inches below. Therefore it is best to fish
the minnow here with a short line and to spin the bait briskly down past
each boulder. For such water the longer fly rod will be found to be the
better weapon. The minnow is also sometimes useful when a gale of wind
in the middle of summer puts fly fishing out of the question.
To be able to command success with the minnow, either in clear water or
in brooks, is an accomplishment worth striving for. It is a sport that
gives the fisherman excitement in plenty, as the whole actions of the
trout are seen from beginning to end. And it is impossible to describe
adequately the fascination which holds the angler whose eyes are riveted
upon a fish rushing down upon his minnow, nor to tell the difficulty of
refraining from incontinently snatching away the minnow from a fish in
the act of seizing it.
Although minnow fishing has many attractions, when followed in times
of bright skies and low waters, it is perhaps more open to abuse
than any other of the fair methods of angling. For not only does the
indiscriminate use of the minnow, especially with the long-distance
casting reel in the hands of a persevering man—not necessarily a very
skilful one—work havoc amongst the fish, but it spoils the sport of
others, as a spun minnow usually puts fish down for some considerable
time. Therefore, in Club waters particularly, a man should be careful and
circumspect in the use of the minnow. For while its judicious use will do
good in removing fish that can well be done without, and will sometimes
provide a dish of trout when the fly is at a discount during the heat
of the day, say, in August, its use out of season will call down many
hard words. And while it is possible for one to work rapidly downstream,
raking the whole river across and across and thus spoil the sport of all
others on the water, a sportsman will choose his reach, fish it quietly
upstream, and leave his brethren of the fly in peace and undisturbed
enjoyment.
INDEX.
Across stream fly fishing, 39
Ant, Dressing for, 29
Ant, Season for, 14
Ariel Tackle, 94
Artificial Flies, See Flies
August Dun, Dressing for, 28
August Dun, Season for, 14
Autopsy, 34, 57, 63
Bites, Method of detecting in upstream Worm Fishing, 90
Black Gnat, 56, 57, 60
Black Gnat, Dressing for, 24
Black Gnat, Season for, 13
Bodies of Flies, 8, 10
Broughton’s Point, Dressing for, 18
Broughton’s Point, Season for, 13
Brown Owl, Dressing for, 20
Brown Owl, Season for, 13
Cast, 37, 64, 66, 73, 95
Cast, Gut, How to Taper, 38
Casts, Rapidity of in Wet-fly Fishing, 46
Casting Reel, 92, 93
Chalk Streams, 37, 42, 53
Chuck and Chance it, 42, 93
Coachman, 58, 60
Coloured Water, Size of Flies for, 10
Costa, 53
Creeper, Description of, 63
Creeper Fishing, Rod for, 64
Creeper Fishing, Tackle for, 64
Creeper, Method of Baiting, 64
Creeper, Method of Collecting, 63
Creeper, Method of Fishing, 65
Dark Needle, Dressing for, 19
Dark Needle, Season for, 13
Dark Olive Dun, 60
Dark Sedge, Dressing for, 25
Dark Sedge, Season for, 14
Dark Silverhorns, Dressing for, 28
Dark Silverhorns, Season for, 14
Dark Snipe, Dressing for, 17
Dark Snipe, Season for, 13
Dark Watchet, Dressings for, 20, 21
Dark Watchet, Season for, 13
Devon Minnows, 94
Diptera, 52
Dotterel, Dressing for, 22
Dotterel, Season for, 13
Downstream, When to Fish Fly, 40
Drag, 46, 60, 78, 81, 87, 88, 89
Dressings of Flies, 16 et seq.
Droppers, Dressed to Hair, 9
Dry Flies, List of, 60
Dry-Fly Fishing, Rod for, 37
Dry-Fly, Times for Fishing, 54
Dubbing, Mixture of, 9
Eden, 82
Entomology, 34
Evening Rise, 57
Evening, Size of Flies for, 58
Far-off and Fine, 45
Fisherman’s Curse, 59
Flies, Bodies of, 8, 10
Flies, Dressed lightly, 10
Flies, Dressed to gut, 8
Flies, Dressed to hair, 8
Flies, Dressings of, 16 et seq.
Flies, Heads of, 10
Flies, Number on cast in Wet-fly Fishing, 36
Flies, Seasons of, 10, 13 et seq.
Flies, Size of, for Coloured Water, 10
Flies, Size of, for Evening Fishing, 58
Flies, Tables of, 13 et seq.
Flies, To err on small side, 10
Flies, Winged, 9, 11
Fly Dressing, McClelland’s Book on, 7
Fly, Taking, Fished as point, 12
Formalin, Minnows preserved in, not recommended, 96
General Use, Rod for, 37
Ginger Spinner, Dry, Dressing for, 30
Ginger Spinner, Dry, Season for, 14
Ginger Spinner, Wet, Dressing for, 24
Ginger Spinner, Wet, Season for, 13
Gnats, 57
“Gossamer,” Pearsall’s Silk, 9
Gravel Bed, Dressing for, 23
Gravel Bed, Season for, 13
Greased Line, 64, 90
Green Insect, Dressing for, 29
Green Insect, Season for, 14
Greenheart Rod, 36
Greenwell’s Glory, Dressing for, 16
Greenwell’s Glory, Season for, 13
Gut, Tapered Cast, 38
Gut, Flies dressed to, 8
Hackle Points, 11
Hair, Flies dressed to, 8
Halford, Mr. F. M., Patterns of Flies of, 60
Hardy’s Hooks, 8
Heads of Flies, 10
Hickory Rod, 36
Hooks, 8, 64, 66, 73, 74
Hooks, Hardy’s, 8
Hooks, Short in Shank, 8
Inner Side of Feather, 9
Insect Life, Knowledge of, 33, 34
Iron Blue Dun, 56, 60
“Jacks,” 66
July Dun, Dressing for, 26
July Dun, Season for, 14
Kinking, 93, 95
Knotted Midge, Dressing for, 23
Knotted Midge, Season for, 13
Leads, 74, 89, 94, 95, 99
Light Needle, Dressing for, 21
Light Needle, Season for, 13
Light Sedge, Dressings for, 25
Light Sedge, Season for, 14
Light Silverhorns, Dressing for, 27
Light Silverhorns, Season for, 14
Light Snipe, Dressing for, 19
Light Snipe, Season for, 13
Lightly Dressed Flies, 10
Line, 37, 64, 66, 73, 90, 93, 95
Line, Short for Upstream Fly Fishing, 45
Line, To be greased, 64, 90
Lune, 54
Maiden Dew Worms, 74
March Brown, Dressings for, 18, 19
March Brown, Season for, 13
McClelland’s Book on Fly Dressing, 7
Metamorphosis of Creeper, 65
Minnow Fishing, in a clear water, 98
Minnow Fishing, in a coloured water, 96
Minnow Fishing, in a wind, 101
Minnow Fishing, Rod for, 93, 100
Minnow Fishing, Season for, 92
Minnow Fishing, Tackle for, 94
Minnow Fishing, Upstream, 98, 99, 102
Minnow, Where to Fish, 96
Minnows, Better too small than too large, 99
Minnows, in Formalin, 96
Minnows, Method of Baiting with, 94
Minnows, Method of keeping alive, 96
Minnows, Natural better than Artificial, 94
Minnows, Salted, 96
Oil Tip, 36, 55, 90
Olive Bloa, Dressing for, 20
Olive Bloa, Season for, 13
Olive Dun, 60
Orange Partridge, Dressing for, 17
Orange Partridge, Season for, 13
Outer Side of Feather, 9
Pale Watery Dun, Dressing for, 27
Pale Watery Dun, Season for, 14
Pearsall’s “Gossamer” Silk, 9
Pennell Tackle for Creeper and Stone-Fly Fishing, 64
Pennell Tackle for Upstream Worm Fishing, 73
Phantom Minnow, 95
Pinktail Worms, 74
Pink Wickham, 58, 60
Point Fly, 12
Poult Boa, Dressing for, 22
Poult Bloa, Season for, 13
Primary Feathers, 9
Rapidity of Casts in Wet-Fly Fishing, 46
Red Quill, 60
Red Spinner, dry, Dressing for, 30
Red Spinner, dry, Season for, 14
Red Spinner, wet, Dressing for, 26
Red Spinner, wet, Season for, 14
Reel, 37, 73, 92, 93
Ribble, 54
Rod for Creeper Fishing, 64
Rod for Dry-Fly Fishing, 37
Rod for General Use, 37
Rod for Minnow Fishing, 93, 100
Rod for Stone Fly Fishing, 66
Rod for Upstream Worm Fishing, 73
Rod for Wet-Fly Fishing, 36
Rough-Bodied Poult, Dressing for, 27
Rough-Bodied Poult, Season for, 14
Salted Minnows, 96
Season of Flies, 10, 13 et seq.
Secondary Feathers, 9
Sedge Flies, 57
Short-Bodied Flies, 8
Short Line for Upstream Fly Fishing, 44
Silk, Pearsall’s “Gossamer”, 9
Silk, Shades of, 9
Silk, Waxed, 9
Silver Sedge, 57, 60
Single Hook Worm Tackle, 73
Small Side, Artificials to err on, 10
Smuts, 52
Spinners, 8, 52, 57
Spinners, Wing for, 11
Spinning, Rod for, 93, 100
Split-Cane Rod, 37, 93
Split Shot, 74, 89
Spring Black, Dressing for, 17
Spring Black, Season for, 13
Stewart, Rod recommended by, 72
Stewart Tackle, 74
Stone Flies, Females, 66
Stone Flies, Males, 66
Stone Fly, Description of, 62
Stone-Fly Fishing, Rod for, 66
Stone-Fly Fishing, Tackle for, 66
Stone Fly, Method of Baiting, 66
Stone Fly, Method of Fishing, 66
Stone Midge, Dressing for, 23
Stone Midge, Season for, 13
Strike, Timing of, 41, 56, 65, 67, 78, 81, 86, 98
Swivels, 95
Tackle for Creeper Fishing, 64
Tackle for Minnow Fishing, 94
Tackle for Stone-Fly Fishing, 66
Tackle for Upstream Worm Fishing, 73, 74
Tail of Pool, Upstream Worm Fishing of, 88
Taking Fly, Fished as Point, 12
Tapered Cast, How to Make, 38
Trace, 95
Transparent Wax, 9
Under Side of Wing of Artificial, 9
Upstream Fly Fishing, 41
Upstream Fly Fishing, Short Line for, 44
Upstream Minnow Fishing, 98, 99, 102
Upstream Worm Fishing in still water, 85
Upstream Worm Fishing, Method of, 76
Upstream Worm Fishing, Method of detecting Bites, 90
Upstream Worm Fishing, Rod for, 73
Upstream Worm Fishing, Season of, 70
Upstream Worm Fishing, Secret of Success in, 72
Upstream Worm Fishing, Tackles for, 73, 74
Upstream Worm Fishing, Wrong Method of, 82
Vibrate Rod Point, 41
Waders for Upstream Worming, 74
Waterhen Bloa, Dressing for, 16
Waterhen Bloa, Season for, 13
Wax, Transparent, 9
Waxed Silk, 9
Wet Flies, Number on Cast, 36
Wet-Fly Fishing, Methods of, 39
Wet-Fly Fishing, Rod for, 36
Wharfe, 54, 57
Wind, Effect of, on Haunts of Flies, 52
Wind, Upstream Worm Fishing in a, 87
Wing for Spinners, 11
Wing of Artificial, under side, 9
Winged Flies, 9, 11
Winter Brown, Dressing for, 16
Winter Brown, Season for, 13
Wool on Cast in Upstream Worm Fishing, 90
Worm Tackles, 73, 74
Worms, 74
Yellow-Legged Bloa, Dressing for, 22
Yellow-Legged Bloa, Season for, 13
Yellow Partridge, Dressing for, 21
Yellow Partridge, Season for, 13
_Printed by Percy Lund, Humphries &. Co., Ltd., Priestman
Street, Bradford, and 3, Amen Corner, London, E.C._
24422