ROD FISHING IN THE SEA. 73 



Artificial spinning baits may be used, but though I 

 have tried several I have not found any of them answer 

 so well as the sand launce, whilst the danger of the triple 

 tail hooks catching in the tangle or sea-weed is much 

 greater than if a single hook is used ; and I know from 

 experience, that when strong tangle is caught by the 

 spinning bait, the chance of recovering it is only small. 

 A good imitation of the sand launce can be made by 

 lashing about six inches of small india-rubber tubing 

 to your hook, one inch of the tubing being left whole 

 and slipped over the shank of the hook, and the 

 remaining five inches being composed of the tube divided 

 into two halves by cutting longitudinally with a sharp 

 penknive. A little twist given in the cutting will cause 

 the artificial bait to spin very fairly. This is a very 

 economical bait, as, of course, by taking care in cutting 

 the tubing (which may be bought for about sixpence 

 or eightpence a yard), seven inches of tubing will make 

 two bait — one inch at each end of the tubing being 

 left untouched to form the head portion to be slipped 

 over the shank of the hook, and the remaining five 

 inches in the middle of the tube being divided across 

 diagonally, will of course give five inches of tail to each 

 bait. If the angler desires to try other artificial bait, he 

 will have no difficulty in obtaining an almost endless 

 variety at any good fishing-tackle makers, but the bait 

 I have mentioned are, in my experience, the simplest, 

 the cheapest, and the best. Expcrto credo. 



I must now explain the tackle used on the fly rod, 

 and also the flies which I found most killing. The 



