140 



MODERN SEA FISHING 



RUBBER EEL WITH BABY SPINNER 



causes it to wobble through the water, 

 and is now usually fitted with a baby 

 spinner at the head. I have known those 

 made of red rubber prove excellent arti- 

 ficial baits for large pollack ; but better 

 still is one of black rubber tubing, double 

 as large as that shown in the engraving. 

 These baits are made in various colours 

 black, white, red, or green ; sometimes one 

 colour is best, sometimes another. Cod, 

 which will take them when fished near the 

 bottom, appear to prefer the white rubber ; 

 while coalfish and bass are perhaps more 

 often taken on the grey, green, and black. 

 The red of the vulcanised and the black 

 of the natural rubber are, so far as my ex- 

 perience goes, a long way the best for 

 pollack. 



Coming to baits which are more fami- 

 liar to freshwater fishermen, 

 among the best is undoubtedly 

 the phantom minnow. I have 

 caught a quantity of large 

 pollack on a phantom deep 

 red in colour and about from 

 three to four inches in length. 

 A blue-backed phantom with 

 a silver belly is a good bait 

 for bass, but not so good as 

 the natural bait. . Messrs. 

 Carswell, of Glasgow, have 

 recently brought out a patent 

 improved phantom made of 



