386 Sporting Sketches 



constructed as to actually tip over when a fish bites, 

 hence the name ; while others are simply uprights of 

 lath or light stuff a couple of feet long, to the upper 

 ends of which are attached arms of wood which 

 pivot easily upon a nail or screw. The preparations 

 for the fishing are few and readily completed. With 

 tip-ups properly constructed, the fisherman seeks 

 frozen lake or stream, and with small axe or chisel 

 cuts the requisite number of holes through the ice and 

 carefully removes all floating fragments to prevent 

 the orifices coating over rapidly in a biting atmos- 

 phere. Close to each of these holes a deep niche 

 is cut in the ice, and in this the armless end of 

 a tip-up is set and firmly tamped with chopped 

 ice or snow. A small quantity of water is then 

 splashed or poured upon the tamping, which 

 speedily solidifies and holds the tip-up firmly. 

 When all the tip-ups are in position, the tackle is 

 put in place. 



A hook is baited, generally with a bit of pork fat 

 or bacon rind, and dropped through one of the holes ; 

 a turn of the line is taken around the free end of 

 the movable arm, and the end of the line brought 

 down the upright and tied fast close to the ice. 

 This reduces the leverage when a fish pulls, and 

 prevents the tip-up from being dragged from its 

 moorings. When the lines are set, the last opera- 

 tion is to see that all the movable arms are vertical 

 and in true line with the uprights. When a fish 

 pulls at the bait below, the arm of the tip-up yields, its 

 free end pointing toward the hole in the ice and 

 signalling that a quarry of some'kind has tampered 

 with the bait. Then the fisherman makes all speed 



