CHAP. ix. Making up Live Bait Tackle. 139 



there may be no crack at the knots. I always use eyed trebles myself 

 in spinning, and never found this objection. Colonel Parsons writes : 



" Being, like yourself, frequently pressed for time, I have of late years 

 almost discarded the use of silk and wax in mounting bait and spinning 

 casts. On artificial minnows I use eyed strong double hooks, which are 

 mounted in a * twinkling ; ' and for spinning natural bait, or securing live 

 bait, I use eyed single hooks." 



There is no doubt in my mind that, for spinning tackle in India, 

 eyed hooks are much to be preferred to bound hooks, as there is much 

 greater danger of losing a fish from the hook drawing or the binding 

 being rotten, so rotten as to rip right up, proclivities too common in 

 India, than from the hook cutting or rusting the gut. Besides, the 

 danger with the binding is not noticeable, till a big fish comes and 

 finds it out for you ; whereas, any rusting of the gut is easily perceived, 

 and as easily remedied. Many a man will not hesitate to snip off and 

 re-knot a doubtful piece of gut, when he would think twice of looking 

 out silk and wax and re-binding it. 



Colonel Parsons' live bait flight of hooks is mounted as follows : 

 A single length of good stout salmon gut being doubled in the middle, 

 so that the two ends lie equally side by side, a common knot, such as 

 one ties at the end of a whip lash, is tied at the end of the gut, so as 

 to keep the ends together, and to keep the knot that follows from 

 slipping. Close above this is tied just such another knot, but this 

 time through the eye of hook B. The necessary space being left, just 

 such another knot is tied round the shank of hook A, and another 

 through the eye of hook A. The knots on A can easily be slackened 

 and worked further from or nearer to B, so as to accommodate the 

 intervening space to the size of the bait. With reference to the bait, 

 Colonel Parsons writes : 



" Six inches in length is a good size for a Mahseer, but you will observe 

 that if you can't get the size of bait you like, the small, or mouth hook 

 can easily be shifted up or down to suit a larger or smaller bait. I have 

 frequently used a bait I Ib. in weight, and occasionally as much as i^ Ib. ; 

 the fitting up of a mount to suit him is only the work of a minute, as I 

 have larger eyed hooks. 



" I am afraid you may consider me somewhat of a barbarian,* but press 



* Far from it. The contrivance is neat and simple, and I doubt not my readers 

 will feel as much indebted as I do to our friendly mentor. 



