Also 5–9 trowling, 6–8 trouling. [f. TROLL v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb TROLL in its various senses.
I. 1. Rolling, revolution.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 503/1. Trollynge, or rollynge, volucio.
1613. Day, Dyall, v. (1614), 98. Concerning the Heavens they perceived such aequabilitie of motion, such turning and trolling of them.
† b. ‘Rolling’ or ‘streaming’ in; abundant influx. Obs.
1614. T. Adams, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. xiv. 1. Extortion batters in the usurer’s affections by the trolling in of his moneys.
II. 2. Singing in the manner of a round, or in a jovial style; in quots. applied contemptuously to antiphonal singing.
1575. Brieff Disc. Troubles Franckford (1846), 206. The trollinge and descantinge of the Psalmes.
1586. in Neal, Hist. Purit. (1732), I. 480. The service of God is grievously abused by … ringing and trowling of psalms from one side of the Choir to another.
III. 3. Angling. The action or practice of fishing by the methods described s.v. TROLL v. 13.
But in trolling-line (quot. 1888 in 4), app. confused with trawling; cf. TRAWLING, TRAWL-NET, TROLLNET.
1651–7. T. Barker, Art of Angling (1820), 22. The manner of his trouling was with a hasell rod.
1682. [see TROLLER 2].
1725. T. Taylor, in Portland Papers VI. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), 88. The late Duke … took great delight in that kind of fishing for them [pike] which is termed ‘trowling.’
1787. Best, Angling (ed. 2), 43. The walking bait is that which the fisher attends to himself, and is called trowling.
1860. G. H. K., Vac. Tour., 167. If you … will go and spin a butterfish for lythe,… you will there first discover what sport trolling can be.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 62. In trolling from a boat at least 300 feet of line should be used.
1910. H. T. Sheringham, in Encycl. Brit., II. 28/2. The use of the drop-minnow, which is trolling on a lesser scale.
4. attrib. (in sense 3), as trolling-bait, -fly, -hook, -line, -rod, -spoon, -tackle.
1891. Cent. Dict., *Trolling-bait.
1898. Blackw. Mag., Nov., 630/1. Many reaches of the Tay are fished by *trolling-fly.
1891. Cent. Dict., *Trolling-hook.
1701. Cowell’s Interpr., s.v. Trawlerman, To trowle or trawle with a *Trowling-line for Pikes.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 187. They live at sea and are caught by the use of trolling-lines.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 103/1. A *Trowling Rod, or a Trowler, hath a ring at the end of the Rod for the Line to run through, when it runs off a Reele.
1844. J. T. Hewlett, Parsons & W., xi. I … bought a short, strong trolling-rod.
1883. Century Mag., XXVI. 382. The Florida bass are taken with the hand-line and *trolling-spoon.
1910. H. T. Sheringham, in Encycl. Brit., II. 28/2. (Angling), The traditional form of *trolling-tackle was such that the bait had to be swallowed by the pike before the hook would take hold.
