56 



ANGLING FOR PIKE. 



great reputation in that district as a successful pike-fisherman, 

 and whose success was said to be due to this particular piece 

 of tackle. The diagram explains its construction. A is the 

 rod ; B, a cork on the surface, to indicate bites ; 0, a common 

 bottle-cork, slit, which supports bait and wire crossbar ; 

 D, E, twisted wire crossbar, Sin. in length ; E, E, 7in. of gimp ; 

 D, F, 2ft. or more of fine twine (fine gut would probably be 

 better), terminated with a bullet. The hook portion of the 

 tackle is very similar to that shown in Fig. 24. The wire 

 beam, of course, must have an eye at each end, to which the 



other portions of the 

 tackle are attached, and 

 an eye in the middle, on 

 which is a hook-swivel. 

 The bottle-cork (C) is a 

 foot or two above the 

 wire, which it supports. 

 The twine or gut D, F 

 can be varied in length 

 according to the depth 

 it is desired to fish. It 

 is obviously important 

 to have the cork just 

 the right size to support 

 the bait and the wire 

 beam in a horizontal 

 position. With this 

 tackle the bait has great 

 freedom, pirouetting round the plumb which anchors it at the 

 proper place and depth. It is altogether so novel, and ap- 

 parently so complicated, that it is not likely to be viewed 

 with much favour ; but as the Count de Moira says he 

 kills more fish with it than his friends do on other tackle, 

 I hope some of my readers will give it a fair trial, which 

 I confess I have not done. Mr. R. B. Marston wrote of this 

 tackle — and I entirely agree with him : " You often come 

 across breaks and bays in beds of weeds and reeds which 

 line the bank; they are often too small to try the ordinary 



BOTTOM OF RIVER 



Fig. 28. Count de Moira's Beam 

 Paternoster. 



