\ DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 147 



to have need to suck a bruised finger than to make much 

 progress. A favourite plan of mine is to go from 

 room to room and scrutinise every article that lends 

 itself in shape, colour, or material to the something 

 hatching in my brain. The Spiral Minnow, between 

 conception and birth, a period of quite two years, 

 played havoc \\ith mmierous articles of domestic 

 use. On an unlucky day I discovered a length of 

 rubber tubing connecting a gas bracket with my 

 Turkish bath, from which I cut pieces to work \^dth 



THE SPIRAL MINNOW. 



until it became too short for the original purpose it 

 had served; only to find that a length of tubing that 

 is of the same circumference at each end does not lend 

 itself to be made into a section of a fish, which, when 

 spun, will become a whole and, apparently, in a terrible 

 hurry to escape. But I accomplished my end at last 

 with the aid of a grandchild's trumpet. 



My first desire to make improvements in fishing 

 tackle was awakened by the loss of a salmon through 

 the breaking of a swivel. The phantom of that day 

 had no swivel, so three or four small ones were placed 

 upon the trace. I wrote to a maker suggesting that 

 a strong, free-working swivel might be made a com- 

 ponent part of his famous bait. His reply was : *I 

 shall be pleased to adopt your suggestion if you will 

 tell me how best to do it/ 



