THE PIKE, JACK, OR LUCE. 159 



reading volumes on the subject. Spinning is analogous to fly fishing, 

 and in casting your bait, judging of depths, and allowing for eddies, as 

 well as in striking the fish, there are peculiarities which are acquired 

 only by experience or judicjious instructions, accompanied by practical 

 demonstration. This is undoubtedly the most, artistic style of jack fish- 

 ing, and as such it has been the subject of considerable attention. It is 

 questionable whether any improvement has been made in the form of 

 the old-fashioned flight of hooks, except in the reduction of the size of 

 each triplet. Mr. Pennell has certainly very ably advocated his particular 

 variation, but I question the merits of the arrangement. It will, how- 

 ever, receive attention in the section devoted to Tackle. The well-made 

 flight, and the skilful angler to arrangiit, are unapproachable in jack 

 fishing. The different styles of tackles will be seen further on. 



The same difficulty which arises in explaining spinning presents itself 

 when speaking of live baiting. This kind of pike fishing is very much 

 in vogue amongst some of our most successful of anglers. It is not neces- 

 sary that I should detail its various forms. I shall here content myself 

 with giving my readers my own special method. The ordinary live-bait 

 tackle is somewhat as follows : A double hook, a gimp trace, with 

 weight attached, and a stout cork float. Usually this weight is for the 

 purpose of cocking the float and keeping the bait about mid-water. 

 Now, I vary this by adding a bullet or large leger to the line nearest 

 the rod, so that the float is upside down, and the connecting line between 

 piscator and his bait is sunk in the water, leaving the bait free to swim 

 in a complete circle without danger of entanglement. For deep or rapid 

 streams I attach great value to the leger paternoster, such as is used at 

 the Welsh Harp water continually. 



While I am on the subject I may describe a very useful kind of bait- 

 can I designed some years ago, and have constantly used with success 

 since. It consists of an outside metal receiver in the form of a small 

 pail, with a handle of course. Another receiver, which is made of wire, 

 net, or tin perforated with holes, fits closely in the former, and this is 

 also fitted with handles and a cover. The baits are placed in this, and 

 water is poured in. All one has to do when a bait is required, is to lift 

 the inner receptacle, and, without wetting the hand, select such as is 

 deemed fitting ; or when fishing by a stream, instead of immersing the 

 whole of the can in the ordinary manner, the inside receiver is lifted from 

 the outer, and is stood in the stream, the bait getting the advantage of 

 completely fresh and ever-changing water. 



Trolling, spinning, or fishing with a live or dead fish generally, has not 

 always been thought so much of as it is now. I have before me a quaint 

 old poem, inserted by Llewellyn in his " Men Miracles" (1646), which is 



