62 



THE PIKE. 



bait would nearly sink to the bottom before he got all 

 straight; the bait itself would sink and draw, wobble and 

 twist, but — and here is where our expert wondered — ^this 

 novice caught the fish. Why? Because by accident he 

 had without knowing it imitated the actions of a bait in 

 difficulties. 



The very best flight that I ever used in slow-running 

 waters was the simple two-treble flight of the Trent men, 

 and the size of hooks No. 5 or 4 Redditch scale, plenty- 

 large enough. These two hooks are whipped nearly close 

 together, so that there is not more than a quarter of an inch 

 of gimp between the end of the shank of the bottom hook 

 and the bends of the top treble. When the water is very 

 bright and clear No. 5 hooks will be the best, and they will 

 be all the better by being dressed on, say, five inches only 

 of 000 copper gimp (the finest size) ; a single strand of 

 strong stained salmon gut can be joined to that little 

 bit of gimp by two neatly, but strongly, whipped loops ;; 



Fig. II. The "Trent Otter's" Flight and Trace. 



one good long single strand will do, so that the flight pro- 

 per, gimp and gut, is about i6in. in length. For this clear 

 water spinning a trace of one and a half yards in length of 

 strong single salmon gut is best, with a drop-lead and buckle 

 swivel on the end, and also one or two more swivels in it 

 above the lead. When the water is clouded or charged ia 



