FISHING TACKLE AND HOW TO MAKE IT. 499 



flanges are spinning, they represent, from below, a bright and 

 multi-moving fish. The dotted lines in the diagram show 

 the outline. This is a genuine improvement. Of the dis- 

 tinctly artificial, or rather "fancy" baits, the trolling-fly 

 deservedly stands amongst the first. These are made of 

 the ordinary material, as a general thing, andsome times 

 a small spoon is placed above them, to their great improve- 

 ment. But the ordinary fur-and- feather fly is too frail for 

 the teeth of fierce predaceous fish, coming at it with a tiger's 

 dash, and the result is great destruction to one's tackle, in 

 an ordinarily good day's f^y-trolling. I make most of my 

 trolling-flies so as to be practically indestructible. The 

 body is of silk, covered over with transparent Tarpon 

 scale-membrane, and the wings of the membrane also. 

 This being, thickness-for-thickness, the toughest skin in the 

 world, baffles even the destroying fangs of the Pickerel, and 

 absolutely defies the horrent teeth of the Bass. Of course 

 the material can be dyed any color deemed necessary. 



Artificial frogs, helgramites, and the various abominations 

 termed "luminated" baits — that is, baits smeared with Bal- 

 main's Luminous paint — need not here be recounted. I have 

 undertaken only to tell of those baits I consider (^^jr/ — without 

 fear or favor. 



Of course the novice can manufacture his spoons, if he 

 can afford to buy a stamping apparatus. It is improbable 

 that he can do so, however, and I think he would find a 

 difficulty in getting the spoons separate from the gearing — at 

 least in this country. He can, however, make the flat-metal 

 baits, such as that figured in fig. 39. It is termed "James' 

 trolling bait." A consists of tinned coper, or tin only, and 

 at the head and tail are soldered two loops through which a 

 long-shanked hook is passed. Two beads of solder are fixed 

 on the shank (see fig. 39) to retain the hook, and a swivel is 

 entered into the loop at the end of the shank. The whole 

 bait is simplicity itself. 



