ong; turn one end of the wires smoothly over a No. 1 iron wire and
work the ends in between the strands below. Now, with a pair of pincers
hold the ends, and using No. 1 as a handle, twist the ends and body of
the snell firmly together; this gives the loop; next, twist the snell
evenly and strongly from end to end. Wax the end of the snell
thoroughly for two or three inches and wax the tapers of two strong
Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks and wind the lower hook on with strong,
waxed silk, to the end of the taper; then lay the second hook at right
angles with the first and one inch above it; wind this as the other and
then fasten a third and smaller hook above that for a lip hook. This
gives the snell about one foot in length, with the two lower hooks
standing at right angles, one above the other and a third and smaller
hook in line with the second.

The bait is the element of success; it is made as follows: Slice off a
clean, white pork rind, four or five inches long by an inch and a half
wide; lay it on a board and with a sharp knife cut it as nearly to the
shape of a frog as your ingenuity permits. Prick a slight gash in the
head to admit the lip hook, which should be an inch and a half above
the second one and see that the back of the bait rests securely in the
barb of the middle hook.

Use a stout bait-rod and a strong line. Fish from a boat, with a
second man to handle the oars, if convenient. Let the oarsman lay the
boat ten feet inside the edge of the lily-pads and make your cast, say,
with thirty feet of line; land the bait neatly to the right, at the
edge of the lily-pads, let it sink a few inches, and then with the tip
well lowered, bring the bait around on a slight curve by a quick
succession of draws, with a momentary pause between each; the object
being to imitate as nearly as possible a swimming frog. If this be
neatly done and if the bait be made as it should be, at every short
halt the legs will spread naturally and the imitation is perfect enough
to deceive the most experienced bass or pickerel. When half a dozen
casts to right and left have been made without success, it is best to
move on, still keeping inside and casting outside the lily-pads.

A pickerel of three pounds or more will take in all three hooks at the
first snap; and, as he closes his mouth tightly and starts for the
bottom, strike quickly, but not too hard, and let the boatman put you
out into deep water at once, where you are safe from