254 



Fishing in Estuaries. 



CHAP. XVIII. 



his older pattern which he had to give up because there were so many 

 complaints of salmon biting the back of the prawn without getting 

 hooked. Now I don't suppose he himself believes for a moment that 

 there is a salmon swimming who is so canny, even in Scotland, as to 

 take the prawn by the back alone, without closing his mouth on the 

 whole prawn. But he has to cater for his customers, and to my 

 thinking it is the old question of anglers' fancies, and for my 

 part I remain an advocate of light tackle, preferring to run the slight 

 risk, if any, of losing an odd fish now and then from having too few 

 hooks, to the far greater probability of losing many a run at a bait 

 armed with too many deterrent looking hooks. Still I give the 



objection for what it is worth, not knowing which way my reader may 

 lean, and if he thinks there is a wily Asiatic fish that will take his prawn 

 by the back, he can select accordingly, and I am the more profligate of 

 illustrations because my readers, being mostly far from tackle shops, 

 are more than ordinarily dependent on them. Bait by inserting the 

 point of the needle just below the tail, and bringing it out at the breast 

 of the prawn, and into an eye in the shank of the tail treble hook, 

 which is then pulled just home, and the tail of the prawn made fast to 

 the trace by a turn or two of any dark thread. 



To suit these estuarial fish with their many teeth, the tackle might 

 with advantage be dressed on No. 4/0 wire gimp. 



