36 



The Gentle Art of Angling. 



Hardy's Crocodile. The Archer 

 spinner is a good second, but the 

 large spikes closing on the bait 

 tear it unnecessarily, and have a 

 tendency to fly open. This is 

 not possible in the crocodile ; the 

 barbed needle that pierces the 

 sides is fastened by a clip, which 

 keeps the bait intact. 



A small dace makes an excel- 

 lent spinner. It is bright and 



HARDY'S SPOON FOR LOUGH PIKE. 



hardy, and, mounted on the croco- 

 dile, I have killed three jack with- 

 out having to change it. Grey 

 mullet sprat, which may be pro- 

 cured in January and February, 

 make capital lures for spinning. 

 They are tough and shapely, and, 

 with their bright silver sides, show 

 up well in the water. I have killed 

 seven jack with this bait in a 

 short day's fishing. Gudgeon are 

 also suitable, and are dainty com- 

 estibles to which pike are partial. 

 The instructions given for casting 

 live bait equally apply to spinning. 



A short line should be used first, 

 fishing close to the bank, and cast- 

 ing across and down stream. Pike 

 make their lairs under trees and 

 bushes overshadowing the water. 

 Such places ought to be carefully 

 searched. Next mid-stream should 

 be tried, and, gradually lengthen- 

 ing the line, longer casts should 

 be made to the opposite bank. 

 The bait is made to travel by 

 reeling in line, a movement which 

 should not be done too quickly. 

 A spinning bait is meant to repre- 

 sent a disabled fish, which turns 

 over and over in the water. Natur- 

 ally, under such conditions the 

 pace is not a rapid one. To 

 imitate the movement, the winch 

 should be revolved quickly enough 

 to keep the bait on the move. 

 Spinning in rapid water, straight 

 up stream, the force of the current 

 will be sufficiently strong to keep 

 the bait revolving. In such cases 

 the line should be rolled in slowly. 

 Across current the pace should be 

 greater, as the bait has a tendency 

 to sink. The weight of lead on 

 the trace must be in proportion to 

 the size of the bait. In sluggish 

 pools very little lead is needed. 

 Many anglers prefer to have the 

 lead embedded in the bait, and in 

 very clear water this is advisable. 

 The crocodile " wobbler" is leaded 

 for this purpose. 



When a pike takes a spinning 

 bait there is a dead stoppage on 

 the line. This is so unlike the 

 way a salmon or a trout takes a 

 fly under water that the fly-fisher 

 must be prepared for it. There 

 is nothing of the sharp jerk that 

 is given to the fly ; the salmon 

 dives down with his prey, the 

 pike closes on it without moving ; 

 a weed or a log could not be more 

 impassive. When such resist- 

 ance is felt, the line should be 

 tightened by an upward and 

 firm movement of the rod. The 

 fish cannot take the bait in his 



