28 THE THAMES ANGLER. 



fixed in that position by putting the reversed hook in the side 

 of the bait ; the other hooks must then be fixed at such distances 

 as not to bend the fish, and the sliding hook fastened into the 

 lips of the bait, and kept in its position by a small shot placed 

 between the bait's mouth and the binding of the hook. 



Great care must be taken to keep the bait straight up to 

 the bend in the tail, as otherwise it will not spin properly. 

 A piece of gut, called a trace, described a few pages back, 

 must be used, having two swivels, one in the middle and the 

 other at the end ; this is to be affixed to the loop of the gut 

 on which the hooks are bound, and the whole then fastened 

 to the running line by a loop at the other end of the trace. 

 If any difficulty should be experienced in procuring baits, 

 an artificial minnow, or a bait termed a kill-devil, or a 

 spoon-bait, will be found a very good substitute, particularly 

 when the water is at all coloured. Baits can be taken to the 

 water placed in Jbran in a tin box ; the instant they are pulled 

 through the stream the bran leaves them, and they become 

 perfectly clean and bright. 



In spinning, the throws should be made rather across the 

 stream, and when your line is out, the point of the rod should 

 be kept nearly at right angles with the line, which must be 

 pulled in slowly, about a yard at a time, till the throw is repeated. 

 In spinning from weirs, however, the line may be drawn in very 

 slowly, as the violence of the stream will cause the bait to spin, 

 and in general also will hook your fish ; a smart stroke, however, 

 to make sure, will do no harm. A small piece of round wood 

 fixed on the end of the spinning or trolling rod, to prevent the 

 pressure of the butt from hurting the chest or side, is a very 

 desirable appendage to spinning tackle. Another very com- 

 mon mode of fishing for Trout, though not much practised on 

 the Thames, is termed bush fishing. Your hook must be 

 adapted to the size of the bait, which may be worms, cad-baits, 

 grubs, beetles, grasshoppers, or natural flies. You should try 

 to keep the top of the rod even with the edge of the water, for 

 if the shadow of it is seen, the fish will start off at once. Fish 

 without a float, with a short line, and sink your bait with a 

 single shot. When the Trout is hooked, keep the line in a 

 slanting direction, as it is easier to get him out of the water, 

 and he does not so much disturb the hole. 



Trout are much more often taken now with a fly in the 



