26 ANGLING IN SALT WATER. 



painted a bright red, so as to be visible among tbe waves; 

 for the lower portion, any subdued tint will do. If tbe sea 

 is quite calm, a smaller float may be used — for instance, tbe 

 favourite one of Nottingham anglers, a large quill. If a fine 

 Nottingbam silk line is used with this float tackle, something 

 much akin to the professional's drift-line fishing can be 

 managed where the water is not more than ten fathoms deep. 

 The boat is anchored in the tideway, as heavy leads as the 

 float will bear are put on the line, the float is shifted as far 

 from the lead as the water is deep — further if the tide is very 

 strong — and an extra 2ft. of gut is added below the lead. 

 The float is then let out for 20yds. or 30yds. or so, and 

 checked. The depth has to be found by plumbing. The line 

 must be fine, or it offers too great a surface to the water, and 

 causes the bait to be lifted too far from the bottom. 



Light float tackle should be very similar to that used for 

 roach; any small float will do, those long and tapered being 

 best. The gut line should be fine, and the sinkers may be 

 either split shot, bitten or pinched on to the line a foot from 

 the hook, or lead wire twisted round a needle laid along the 

 gut, the needle being afterwards withdrawn, and the coil twisted 

 tighter. Float tackle for smelts should be of the finest gut, and 

 so weighted that only a small fraction of the float is visible 

 above the water; the slightest bite can then be perceived. 

 Small floats are usually attached to lines by the wire ring fixed 

 on one end of the float, and a movable quill cap slid on the 

 other. These quill caps are apt to cut the line, and split. The 

 best caps are made of a sort of oilcloth material. 



SPINNING, TRAILING, WHIFFING, AND BAILING 

 TACKLE— ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 



Professional sea fishermen rarely use spinning baits ; a portion 

 of, or a whole fish, dragged through the water, answering their 

 purpose. Their method answers admirably for mackerel; but 

 for bass and pollack a spinning bait has special attractions. 



Spinning tackle consists of two parts: the flight — a length 

 of gut or gimp bearing the hook or hooks; the trace — a 

 length of gut or gimp bearing the sinker, and swivels to 

 keep the line from twisting. 



