TROLLING WITH THE DEAD GORGE BAIT. 201 



It is curious that whilst so many portions of the 

 Fisherman's equipment have of late years undergone 

 such a complete transformation, the gorge-hook, 

 except in the matter of finish, has been literally sta- 

 tionary. In fact in a most essential particular it has 

 retrograded instead of advancing — I refer to the length 

 of the wire shank or '* arming" attached to the leaded 

 hook. This is a most important point, for two reasons. 

 First because the modern system of elongating the 

 hooks by a stiff coil of twisted wire destroys to a consi- 

 derable extent the life-like play and elasticity of the 

 bait ; and secondly, because this unnatural stiffness and 

 rigidity is constantly the cause of the Pike refusing to 

 pouch it. 



The cause of the modern innovation is plain enough ; 

 it is to assimilate this length of the hook to that of the 

 bait, so that there may be something solid on which to 

 fasten the bait's tail, and thus prevent it slipping down 

 the gimp and doubling up. Even with this assistance, 

 however, the process of baiting is tedious enough : to be 

 effectual it must be done very carefully ; and what can 

 be more trying than pottering with numbed fingers over 

 the complicated miseries of needle and silk in a biting 

 east wind, or when, perhaps, the only propitious hour of 

 a winter's afternoon is visibly gliding away ? Moreover, 

 if the hook be not exactly of the right length of the 

 bait's tail, there remains the contingency either of 

 having nothing to lap it to, or of leaving a thick 



