THE PIKE. 



83 



In quieter waters like the Ouse, the Witham, and similar 

 streams, I found it the best for spinning when the water 

 was on the rise, and once or twice I have had very good 

 bags when it has been too thick to see the spoon when sunk 

 a couple of feet below the surface. During the late sum- 

 mer and early autumn, when the water is very clear, almost 

 the only chance you have to pick up a fish by spinning an 

 artificial is just after sunset, immediately before the dusk of 

 evening creeps down on you. I have had some of my very 

 best fish under these circumstances. A splendid place to 

 try an artificial is in the rough and broken water at the 

 foot of a weir, particularly if large stones and sunken trees 

 break the force of the stream and form eddies behind. If 

 the frothing waters keep churning round and round, and 

 you hardly think there is room to get a spinning bait in, 

 never mind, have a try, there might be a specimen lurking 

 under the shadow of those big stones. I am very fond of 

 spinning in all those streams and eddies that curl round and 

 round from the foot of a weir. The same trace and drop- 

 lead that I recommend for spinning a natural bait will do 

 for an artificial, only when water is clouded, weeds and ob- 

 structions are plentiful, and fish run large, I should use them 

 rather thicker than ordinary, say No. i gimp ; but on well- 

 fished rivers like the Lea and Stort, say, when water is clear, 

 gut traces and small hooks must be the order of the day. 

 And now just a word or two on another very vexed question, 

 and that is what wind and weather are likely to be the best 

 for sport with a spinning bait, either dead or an artificial ? 

 Some anglers prefer a gale of wind, when the water is rolled 

 up in miniature waves, caused by the wind chopping or 

 blowing up-stream. Certainly I have had some snort under 

 circumstances like that, but then on the other hand I 

 have had far better luck when not even a wind ripple dis- 

 turbed the surface of the water. Once in particular, I find 

 on reference to my note-book, that I had been spinning all 

 one afternoon when the water was clouded and the wind 

 blowing just sufficient to ripple and disturb the surface ; but 

 not a touch did I get. Towards evening the wind suddenly 

 died down, not so much as a move could be seen on the 

 water, and the rain that had been threatening all day came 



