('hut. win. i i Artificial Otter. -47 



og of your fish. The better way when it remains broadside on 

 stand Btill, 01 retrace youi steps, bo as to gel the otter in, and 

 -a palling in the line till the otter describes a semicircle and 

 runs in to shore 



But againsl Mr. Wilcocks' plan it is argued, again, that the otter 

 does not interfere with the playing of your fish, but more or less 

 aids it by yielding Id violent togs, and coming up and going on 

 again as you proceed, and thus helping you in the drowning of your 

 fish Moreover, it is Urged that you do not want to be compelled 

 to poll in your otter with every individual fish, because it saves a 

 great deal of trouble to keep m<i\ ing on, the fish is soon killed, and 

 trails quietly, and it is time enough to pull in when you have 

 five or six fish on. 



Still it may be that Mr. Wilcocks' plan is preferable, with 

 heavy sea fish, of 10, 20 or 30 lbs. each, and it is about sea- 

 lishing that he writes. 



The tow line should be prepared as follows: — Get a number of 

 small brass rings just big enough to run easily on the tow line, but 

 so small that a knot tied in the tow line will not pass through them. 

 Put twenty or thirty of these rings on the tow line, each 6 or 

 8 feet apart, say 8 for preference, with a common whip knot 

 on each side of it, so as to prevent its shifting. The ring is to 

 prevent the drop lines from twisting round the tow line. To these 

 rings attach your drop lines, which must not lie more than 2i feet 



to the hook ; so that bj oo means can they reach each other, 



and entangle in the water, even when the drops are only (J feet 

 apart. 



But I think 8 feet is a fairer distance at which to place the 

 drops, so as to be secure against entanglements, even in the event 

 of the tow-line sagging, or a heavy tish behaving badly. These 

 drop lines w ill be the better, in the case of spinning fish, for having 

 one or two swivels each I would recommend the droplines having 

 two brass swivels each, and being not more than 2 feet long, with 



a large loop at the end. To this loop your spinning bait s id can 



then be easily attached, and re-attached, when fresh baiting. But 



the whole drop should be removable, because you want no swivels 



with Hies, and will 1m- the better for having nothing hut gut, 2£ to 3 

 of gut to your lly. 

 The otter can be made larger if you like, maintaining the same 



