THE SLANT-SPO. 199 



picted, No. 1 has the preference ; No. 2 is the next in 

 favour ; and No. 3 the least so. When No. 1 is used, the 

 point of the single hook with which it is armed, is turned 

 towards the head of the bait. If No. 2, the larger of the 

 two hooks, also points to the head, and the smaller to the 

 under jaw. But if No. 3, which is provided with two 

 equally large hooks, they lie one on either side of the mouth. 

 It might he supposed that the Slant- krok provided with most 

 hooks would prove the deadliest ; but if the pike has fairly 

 gorged the bait, a single hook is amply sufficient, and less 

 likely to get foul, more especially if, as is the ease with 

 No. 3, the hooks are barbed. 



The baiting-needle (Fig. 4) is a very simple contrivance. 

 It consists of a needle-like piece of stick, pointed at one end, 

 and with a slit in the other ; but I doubt if Crooked Lane 

 can turn out anything more efficacious. The representations 

 show one needle threaded, the other empty. 



Though intended for the same purpose as the gorge-hook, 

 the Slant-krok is used differently ; for instead of trolling the 

 bait that is, either allowing it to follow in the wake of 

 the boat, or casting it to a distance, and then hanking in the 

 line it is simply raised and depressed in the water, or in 

 likely-looking holes among the weeds. 



This being the case, the Slant-Spo, as the rod used for 

 the purpose is called, is necessarily of considerable length 

 say twenty to twenty-four feet ; but to render it the more 

 manageable, it is formed of the lightest material, and more- 

 over frequently weighted at the butt. The extreme point of 

 the rod is provided with a short pin, over which a small 

 ring, fastened to the line, is suspended at ten to twelve 

 feet from the bait. When, therefore, the pike seizes the bait, 



