248 Rod and Tackle. Chapt. xvm. 



proportions, which are that it should be about three times as long 

 as it is dec]), and always sunk with lead so that the water-line 

 shall be within an inch of the top. I have one, 4 feet long, 

 which nearly pulls me into the sea. It was made for fishing broad 

 estuaries for heavy sea-fish, and for fishing the seashore outside the 

 waves on calm days; but I have had very little opportunity for 

 trying it. Still 1 have seen what it can do in the lakes in Ireland, 

 and have seen also that Indian sea-fish, the seer, for instance, will 

 take a small fish readily enough. I wonder if a porpoise would 

 take it, If he did you would have caught a tartar. 



The otter can be used whenever you have a good extent of 

 uninterrupted shore or beach to walk along, without interposing 

 lives, etc.; and it can also be used from the stern of a rowing 

 boat, for as you move on rowing it will move parallel with you; 

 and if you are very avaricious, you can have one on each side of a 

 boat. But remember, that weeds have a strong affinity for tow- 

 lines and drop flies, especially when there is a fish on. 



I will confess, however, that I have nol bad the patience 

 to experiment with the otter half as much as I purposed to do. It 

 went against my grain, and in golden moments of leisure I found 

 myself fingering my old friends the rods in preference. 



The simpler way, however, is to lane two small otters as above ; 

 if you like to use them singly you can do so, one on each side of a 

 boat. If you wish to have one of double the power, so as to take 

 • nit a very long line from the shore, drive a small staple into one of 

 the otters, midway in the plant perpendicularly, and a little 

 forward of midway longitudinally. The staple may be easily made 

 of a piece of strong brass wire, with the eye protruding on the off- 

 side and the ends on the near-side doubled down. To this eye 

 attach the bridle of the second otter. The two otters will be thus 

 coupled, ami will walk side by side, together bringing just twice 

 the tension to bear on the tow-line that either does singly. If you 

 always worked your otter one way, say from right to left, nothing 

 more would be wanted; but as you sometimes require to work 

 from left to right, drive in another staple close alongside of the first 

 one, and. a- before, in the centre of the perpendicular of the plank, 



but with the eye ] .rot Hiding OH the opposite side. You have thus 

 an eye on either side to which to attach your oil' otter. To reverse 

 an otter, turn the nose in the direction in which you wish it to 



