BADLY-MOUNTED BAITS. 81 



pike. I have not yet been able to give it a trial, but it 

 ought to be very killing. The Lightning Spinner is the 

 greatest novelty in spinning baits. It is something like two 

 Clippers, one above another, revolving in different directions. 

 Pike with any self-respect ought to leave any river in which 

 it is used; but I learn that it has proved itself to be an 

 attractive bait. 



With regard to artistic representations of fish, I may remark 

 that they usually prove more attractive to beginners in the 

 gentle art than to the pike. Why, I cannot say. They certainly 

 ought to kill, for they are beautifully made. But, as a 

 rule, they don't. Artificial pike-baits are almost invariably 

 badly mounted. The gimp is too thick, the hooks weak in 

 the wire and badly tempered, the bindings insecurely fastened 

 off, and instead of brass or bronze rings, brazed up at the 

 opening, are often fitted with split steel rings, which rust and 

 break. The gimp at the head of the bait should be fine 

 patent 000 or 00 (see page 31) ; but any gimp to which hooks 

 are attached should be 'No. 1 ordinary silver kind, unless the 

 bait is a dark one. The triangles should be similar to those 

 shown in Fig. 18, and should be stout in the wire; and 

 anything in the nature of steel or iron — hooks excepted — 

 should be plated, or replaced by brass or bronze. 



All fish-hooks, and those of artificial baits in particular, 

 should be kept very sharp. The angler should, therefore, carry 

 a watchmaker's or needle file, with which to occasionally touch 

 up the sides of hook points. 



Extraordinary and novel baits often kill well for a time, 

 but after a while the pike seem to get used to them. The 

 baits I have mentioned are old favourites, to which this 

 remark does not seem to apply. 



DIV. II. 



