CHAPTER V. 

 THE PIKE (continued). 



SPINNING WITH AN ARTIFICIAL. 



Artificial baits — What shape and colour is likely to have the best 

 results — A seemiyig contradiction — Three typical artificials — How to spin 

 an artificial — Best time, water, and places to try artificials — Wind and 

 weather — Ice in the rings of the rod 



Artificial baits for spinning for pike are now made in 

 almost an endless and bewildering variety, and all sorts of 

 material are used in their manufacture, brass, copper, nickel, 

 German silver, aluminium, indiarubber, composition of 

 various kinds, silk, natural skins of fishes, and even bunches 

 of peacock's feathers and silver tinsel, so tied together till 

 the lure looks like a huge humming bird when thrown on 

 the water. Some of these artificials, like the famous 

 ^^ Clipper," for instance, are so constructed that a light 

 breeze is quite sufficient to set them spinning round and 

 round with great rapidity, and when drawn through the 

 water looks like one even and glittering line of silver. This 

 is a famous bait to use when the water is slightly clouded 

 with colour. When the streams have run down very low, 

 and the water is so bright that you can see the bottom very 

 plainly, it is very little good throwing a bright silver-like 

 artificial, or, indeed, for the matter of that, an artificial of 

 any kind, unless it is a soft indiarubber bait of a very dull 

 colour, a good deal after the pattern of the "Jubilee," I 

 think it was called, and even this should be mounted on 

 very fine grey-coloured gimp with hooks small and not much 

 exposed. Almost any artificial, no matter what its name or 

 shape will kill pike some odd times when the conditions are 

 favourable; but tastes seem to vary in different waters. 

 Some waters I have fished in the pike must have a bait that 



