224 Rod and Tackle. CHAPT. XVTH. 



doubled and given three turns — a double swivel is best. The hook 

 at the thick end of the spoon is similarly fastened on with wire 

 and the hook not unfrequently added at one side of the spoon is 

 dispensed with, because two trebles are quite enough to ensure 

 the hooking of any fish that is fool enough to take the spoon into 

 his mouth, and more than two hooks unduly impede the spinning 

 of the spoon. Tackle-makers ought not to give you the trouble of 

 doing all this, but should send out your spoons mounted in this 

 trustworthy manner, or on soldered solid rings, which is a very 

 easy matter. In this matter of split rings I do hope, dear reader, 

 that you will be cunt cut to be guided by me. It is not a matter 

 for compromise, not a matter for argument. It is aid Ca'sar aut 

 nullus. 



Any one who baits with a fish on one treble hook, or on a 

 single hook drawn home to the anus, should have 

 a loop at the end of his spinning trace big 

 enough to allow of the bait being passed through it; for the 

 simplest way of attaching this bait to the trace is to put the large 

 loop of the trace through the loop of the snood,* and then pass 

 the bait through the large loop. But traces are not always made 

 with large loops, and then the only alternative is to unhitch the 

 collar from the running line every time you fresh bait, and passing 

 the loop of the snood through one loop of the trace, then to pass 

 the whole trace through the loop of the snood, and bitch on to the 

 running line again. This is a tedious operation, and time is too 

 precious when fish are taking. I have, therefore, a little knot of 

 my own for getting over this difficulty. It is a double loop, made 

 of a single length of good stout salmon gut. 



Commence by thoroughly well soaking your gut for a quarter 

 of au hour or more. Then arrange it as in Figure I, Plate XXV, 

 and tie a simple whip knot or common knot in it. such as is com- 

 monly tied al the end of a whip; a single knot, not a blood knot. 

 The gilt will then lie disposed as shown in Figure 2. II' in this 

 stage you take the trouble t<> sit that the guts tall evenly side by 

 side, and lint across each other, your kimt will be both tighter and 

 neater than it' clumsily tied. Pull the two loops, and the two ends, 

 till vou get all quite taut ; and then cut off the ends, and you will 



* The stxxiil i* the length >>f ma. or other material, with Loop, which is attached 



in the ho»k. 



