150 BAITING THE GORGE-HOOK. 



gular shape, which is objectionable and not by 

 any means so proper as lead roughly rounded. 

 About a foot of gimp is to be neatly attached to 

 the loop in the wire ; and when the gorge-hook is 

 baited, the gimp is to be fastened to the hook of 

 the first swivel on your trace. Two good swivels 

 are sufficient for your trace. 



The gorge-hook is baited thus : The loop of 

 the gimp is placed in the eye of a baiting-needle, 

 which is inserted through the mouth of the bait, 

 and the point brought out at the middle of the fork 

 of the tail. Draw the gimp towards you until you 

 find yourself stopped by the bends of the hooks 

 being arrested 1?y the mouth of the bait. The 

 points of the hooks are to be in an upward direc- 

 tion, as you see in the illustrated figure. A thread 

 of white silk whipped round the bait close above 

 the tail, will attach it firmly to the gimp within, 

 and prevent the bait from having its tail-part 

 injured, by being dragged backwards during its 

 progress towards the water. 



Many persons do not allow the wire that is 

 attached to the hooks to project beyond the fine 

 end of the lead, where they attach the gimp and 

 bait with it as above. They contend that gorge- 

 hooks are too heavily wired, causing the bait, 

 when cast, to sink too deeply in the water and 

 make too large and loud a splash. The gorge- 

 hooks, with little wire projecting beyond the 



