24(3 Rod and Tackle. Ohapt. xviii. 



to you, and will not keep away enough to keep the line taut. In 

 such case let out the stern cord a little, and try again. If you 

 lengthen the stern cord too much, the angle of the plank will be 

 too great, and the otter will pull away from you too much, and in 

 consequence will not keep pace with you, but will lag behind. 

 You must therefore humour this stern cord till you have got it to 

 work nicely ; and, that attained, knot all three cords together in 

 one simple knot, such as is usually tied at the end of the lash of a 

 whip by non-whip makers, so that they may not slip; and leave a 

 loop over to which to attach your towing line with the hooks on it. 

 This adjusting of the stern line of the otter is rather a nice 

 operation, but, once done, it lasts for ever. 



The towing line can be used with flies or spinning bait, just as 

 yon like. To lead the otter so as to sink it to the desired depth, 

 drive in small screws all along the bottom edge of the plank, one 

 every inch, say, so as to stand out a little in continuation of the 

 plank and give the lead something to hold by. Then paste brown 

 paper on both sides of the plank, near the bottom edge and 1ft it 

 dry and stiffen. Stand the plank bottom edge upwards and pour 

 molten lead into the trough thus made all round the line of jutting 

 out screw heads along the bottom edge of the plank. You will need 

 ai Least half an inch of lead, and it is better to pour ton much than 

 too little, for it is easy to plane off what is extra with a common jack 

 plane, whereas it is not so easy to add lead with a second moulting, 

 Tor it does not make a good joint with the previous cold lead; 

 there is always a crack left with a want of firm hold. Remove the 

 paper wall, and trying the otter in the water, plane down the lead 

 till the plank sits evenly in the water, with just about an inch 

 or an inch and a half above the. water level. 



The usual way is to attach the tow line to the loop, where the 



three otter plank cords are knotted together, which three cords we 



will call the bridle; but another plan, as suggested by Mi. Wilcocks, 



in his " Sea Fisherman," is to tie the tow line primarily to the 



ile at the stern of the otter plank, and connect it with the 



hridle 1 iv a piece of tine twine. When a fish is 1 ked you will 



then, by the art of striking the fish, break the thin connecting 

 twine, and the strain coining on the stern of the otter, you will 

 easily haul it on shore end-on; whereas it is not so easy when the 

 otter remains hroadside-on, and more or Less in with the 



