22 ARTIFICIAL SPINNING-BAITS. [PARTI. 



good sport, when he, wishing to keep his tackle 

 out of the way, and believing the bottom to be 

 clear, threw out his bait (a roach or gudgeon) to 

 some distance from the boat. Luncheon occupied 

 them about three quarters of an hour, at the end 

 of which having taken up his rod, he found his 

 hooks, as he imagined, foul of the bottom. He 

 gave two or three pulls to endeavour to clear it, 

 when he discovered, to his great surprise, that 

 lie had got hold of something alive ; and the 

 next instant out went his line with evidently 

 a "regular snorter" at the end of it. It was not 

 without considerable difficulty that he succeeded 

 in landing this self-invited guest, when he found 

 him to be a Jack of over twenty-eight pounds, which 

 he has now preserved. I have not yet seen him, 

 but am told he is a singularly handsome fish, so 

 that, if condition be a test, it is probable he was 

 not induced to take the bait merely from the pres- 

 sure of hunger. 



I have fished with artificial spinning-baits (kill- 

 devils) of nearly every kind and shape, and caught 

 fish with all, I believe, without exception. Indeed, 

 almost anything at all bright, that will spin, with 

 a garnish of hooks, will, where "baits" are scarce, 

 catch Trout or Jack, and (I believe I may add) 



